Between Life and Death
by Lovely-Viper-Venom
Summary: The recall has gone out to Overwatch agents. Angela Ziegler responds to the call, intent on making sure her friends stay safe in the endeavors to save the world, and to personally address her own mistakes. One of which continues to haunt her and follow her like a shadow...no one said facing your failures was easy.
1. Where Angels Are Found

A new fanfic...haven't written much lately from writer's block and well so many other issues that have happened. Plus. Holidays. Trying to find my muse again and write. Hopefully this story does well! Been playing Overwatch a while, and I love the lore they have and the characters! So finally got around to writing something about it. I hope everyone enjoys, and feel free to leave reviews to let me know how I'm doing! Still a little rusty with writing! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any artistic works of Overwatch (including, story, character, lore, etc.). It is copyrighted by Blizzard and other affiliated companies.

NOTE: This chapter has been rewritten, and updated in an attempt to match the Overwatch lore and timeline...vague as it is sometimes. Thank you!

* * *

Chapter 1  
Where Angels Are Found

 _The second Omnic Crisis was beginning. Angela had heard of all the unrest between Omnics and humans lately. Terror attacks against one another, debates whether or not Omnics deserved rights, deaths in Russia...the situation was a breeding ground for something terrible to rise from it. In the days of the first Omnic Crisis, she fondly remembered how Overwatch was put together. And her, being so young, making new discoveries and developments in nanobiology, had been asked aboard. They were interested in her research and what it could do to help those who needed it. She had happily joined, thinking now her skills weren't just concentrated in one or two hospitals; they could be utilized abroad. For the good of everyone._

 _But those days were long gone, right with the explosion. Everything had come crashing down around them, and left them disgraced. It didn't mean when the UN disbanded them, and enacted the Petras Act, that she didn't keep her Valkyrie suit. It was more than just an Overwatch uniform, so to speak...it helped her bring back countless from near death. And so far, no one's corrected her on the use of it in the battlefields of today._

 _Battlefields like Iraq, where she currently was. Iraq was a different beast than she could have ever guessed. In her days of Overwatch, she was used to sophisticated grenades and bombs. Here...one could barely walk down a street, without fear that a grocery bag and a pile of garbage on the side of the road concealed an IED. There were so many to help here, and as many as she helped, more seemed die or get wounded. Angela was resilient. She did all she could, flying into the thick of firefights as Overwatch taught her to rescue those pinned down or heavily wounded._

 _While she did everything she could in Iraq, she often watched the news and kept up with the events going on in Russia. A lot of tension between Omnics and humans was more prominent there than anywhere else. It wasn't surprising, given their past with Omnics and the first crisis. She was sorely tempted to go to Russia and lend her aid to them. It was wishful thinking that it would be like old times with Overwatch if she went...but she knew better. There would be no Winston, no Jack, no Reinhardt, no Genji, no Gabriel..._

 _It would only be her and her Valkyrie suit, and the Russian military. No friendly faces. No Overwatch. As she believed, Overwatch was shut down for a good reason. And despite all the friends she made, it was best it stayed that way._

Deep in the Iraqi desert was an old, old city. In the last few weeks, it was a battleground between two opposing forces, struggling for power in that region. The fighting had left many families homeless, and many people severely injured or dead. But it was thanks to a certain blonde doctor that many of these deaths and injuries were avoided.

The patients were all brought to a spawling camp of canvas tents south of the city, where it was still safe. This was where doctor Angela Ziegler spent most of her time. Angela saved many from life threatening injuries, and a special few from death itself. When she wasn't in the dusty little camp, she was flying into battle with her VSRS, saving fighters on the frontlines. Stories of her abilities spread throughout the community, and many began to believe she was a true angel from Heaven sent to protect them all.

But even heroic angels could grow exhausted and fatigued.

Angela was dozing in her personal tent. Most of the other nurses and technicians had their own, vaguely decorated with personal items to make it more like home. Angela's was void of most of these, save a few pictures and ornate rug a patient had woven her as a present. A fan was blowing cool air from its stand, barely enough to make the tent's temperature tolerable. Twenty hours of work had depleted any energy she had left. After the long hours of flying in and out of battle zones, rescuing people, then tending to patients in the camp, the last thing she wanted to hear was any electronic beeping for attention.

But alas...something was chirping and calling for her attention from an old rucksack under her cot.

Angela loved silence. It put her at peace. Over her time with Overwatch, her ears had grown sensitive to any form of noise. The muffled beeping from her rucksack was as jarring to her as if someone had started up a jackhammer. Tired, blue eyes flew open and she stared at the blank canvas wall of her tent for a moment.

" Warum..." she groaned, as the sound was not going away.

She sat up slowly. She reached under her cot and pulled out the bag...frowning. She hid her electronics in the rucksack. While she held sympathy for her patients and others, there had been a few occasions where some medical personnel have had their personal electronics turn up missing. It was better to hide them or keep them on you.

She loosened the closure and dug around inside, pulling out her phone. Her eyes couldn't believe the words she saw flashing on its screen. It wasn't possible. Angela rubbed her eyes a few times, wanting to blame her sleepy and tired state for what she was seeing. But the words were clear.

"Verdammt," she muttered and shook her head.

RECALL OF ALL OVERWATCH AGENTS! AN IMMEDIATE RESPONSE IS REQUIRED!

"Immediate...hmph," Angela grumbled with a frown.

It was not that she did not wish to see old friends she had made in her time with Overwatch. There were some she still kept in contact with like Genji and even Torbjorn. Nor was it that she didn't want to help others in the world. She was already doing that by going into crisis areas affected by war.

It was because Overwatch was disbanded for a reason, and she supported it. The militarization of the agency had her pitted against her superiors like Jack and Gabriel, as well as the directors themselves. Then, of course, there was the Petras Act which made any Overwatch activity illegal. Whoever had sent out this recall was risking prosecution if anyone ever found out what they did.

"After I rest...I am certainly in no state to be dealing with this," she said to herself tiredly. The phone was put back in the rucksack. She shoved the sack back under her cot, and figured she would deal with it when she woke up and before she headed out to start her next twenty hour shift. Maybe when she woke up, she thought, the message would not be on her phone and could chalk it up to being nothing but a very realistic dream.

* * *

Ten hours came and went. A small, dial clock on the stand next to her fan began to chirp and ring loudly. Angela groaned and buried her face into the thin pillow her head was on. She had been having such a lovely dream... and was determined to enjoy it a few moments longer. Finally, she sat up and turned the alarm off. She stretched and yawned, noticing it was darker outside her tent. [i] _It must be sunset[/i]_ , she thought.

There was a list of things she wanted to get done. Mostly, she wanted to find some decent dinner to fill up on and more of the sweet hot tea that was custom to the country. There was something else too that she was vaguely recalling to memory.

"...That message!" she said suddenly. Arms darted under the cot and dragged her bag back out. She opened the bag swiftly and yanked out her phone. Nimble fingers moved over its smooth screen. Was it all a dream? No one could be crazy enough to want to recall former Overwatch agents. It was probably even an arrestable offense making threats to reform the old agency!

But as she went through her recent messages, it was there still. Clear as day. A heavy, sinking feeling slid into the pit of her stomach as she reread the message.

It was some time with her thumb hovering over the button to call back. All she had to say was that she would not be coming. There was much more to do in many other regions of the world that she could do on her own, and not be affiliated with Overwatch. She sighed as she hit the button and was immediately connected.

"Hello?"

She said once she knew the connection was established. There were sounds she took for someone scrambling about.

"Angela?"

There was a small smile that graced Angela's lips when she heard that voice. She knew it well.

"Winston. Was that you putting out the recall?" she asked.

"It was...Gibraltar had been attacked by Talon. They were attempting to hack Athena for information...she says they were trying to obtain the documents on former Overwatch agents and their locations. Reaper was here with them," he said, sounding a bit solemn.

Reaper...Angela sighed. She had been hearing news about some terrorist attacking certain Overwatch agents and leaving no survivors. Talon working with someone like Reaper didn't bode quite well with her. It was lucky that she was in the middle of a desert and in a city that was hard to reach.

"Are you ok?" she asked, becoming more awake and alert with each moment.

"I am fine, you know me. Tracer is here too now. And I think Reinhardt is on his way. And a friend of his. So is Torbjorn! He says his wife isn't too happy, but...she understands why. Look, Angela, is Reaper is hunting us all down, we're better off sticking together and taking down Talon together. Plus, you've seen the news...there is so much going on out there we can stop. We need more heroes, new and old...won't you come?"

There was silence from Angela as she mulled it over. Part of her wanted to go to support her friends, and indeed stop the rise of violence happening lately. Another part of her knew better. Reforming Overwatch was illegal and she didn't want any part of it.

"Winston, you know this is wrong. Reforming Overwatch is illegal...no matter what is going on in the world, how can we help when we have to look over our shoulder to make sure the UN doesn't try hunting us down to arrest us?" she reasoned.

" What's wrong is what's going on in the world and nothing stopping it. Besides the attack on this base, Reaper and Widowmaker tried to obtain the Doomfist. We were able to stop them...but me and Tracer can't do it alone. It's only a matter of time before the situation in Russia spills over into other parts of the world. The only one seeming to barely keep peace between us all is Mondatta. But he is only one Omnic. And if Talon is-"

Angela voice was sharp. "What do you mean they tried taking the Doomfist?"

"Well...after they tried to hack the information here and failed, they ran off after the next best thing. Seems there's a lot of missions they have in a day. We're okay, Angela! We are safe...but you know, we could always use a good healer. Just in case...won't you come?"

Angela was quiet on the end of the line for a moment. Her voice sounded oddly strained as she responded.

"I...I can't, Winston," she said, and hung up before he could say anything more.

There were too many memories in regards to Overwatch. There were some good ones, but often than not, quite a few bad ones. What mostly came to mind was her failures. Failures to effectively mediate between Gabriel Reyes and Jack Morrison, both whose feud was directly affecting the team and agency itself. Failure to get her superiors to bolster and fund the science and engineering departments instead of militarizing the agency overall. Failure to save Gabriel Reyes when he was dying...it was a weight on her she never had quite dealt with.

She put the phone back in her sack and tied it back together. The memories were taking root and began plaguing her. Angela abruptly stood and dressed in a rough manner. She tied her hair back up and shrugged on the white labcoat.

"It's ok. Don't think about it. Nothing a hard day's work can't fix," she said in a false cheerful voice. She got herself together and left her tent to report in to the main medical post and see what was on the agenda for her today. With the adrenaline still in her system and her emotions running a little higher than usual, she felt slightly daring. Maybe they would assign her to be a field medic today...that way, she had not a second to dwell on unhappy memories.

* * *

Angela returned to the dusty camp in a large humvee vehicle carrying many injured civilians who got caught up in crossfire. Angela had healed them and had some fighters help her get them out. They were in a sorry state, even after the healing. The shock had not quite left their eyes. Once at the camp, Angela had some nurses translate that they needed to be washed up and would be assigned a tent to stay in. Angela was hugged by an old woman in the group before she was escorted off to wash up. It was barely registering to Angela that she would need the same soon enough. Blood and dirt was all over her.

Angela managed to go wash up and get her suit cleaned. While she was waiting for it to dry, she joined some others on their break in a tent that had a television. There was a device attached to it that was using satellites to catch stations to broadcast. She watched as a woman in a suit was reporting on the latest news...

" The Shambali leader, Mondatta, has been assassinated today in King's Row. An overnight, international breakdown seems to have occurred since then. An apartment complex that housed many Omnics was burnt down shortly after the news was made public in Gorvoslask, Russia. CCTV reveals a masked man pouring some kind of flammable liquid all over the property then began to throw molotov cocktails into the windows. Fifteen people also perished in the fire..."

Angela stared at the screen blankly. How could this be happening?

" Protestors for Omnic rights are in an uproar, as police have failed to find the assassin. Many of them stand outside in the streets, in front of city halls and police stations, with fellow Omnics, demanding justice be served and peace prevail...in Russia, so far 15,000 lives have been claimed during the ongoing conflict between new Omnics being produced by a Siberian Omnium..."

Angela got up and went back to her tent, sitting down on her neatly made cot for a moment. She went to dig her phone out and was about to send a call out to Winston. This was the third time today she held her phone in her hand with disbelief. Winston was right, something had to be done. Russia was barely containing the Second Omnic Crisis themselves, even with Volskaya Industries being given a green light to build new mech for the military. And now with Mondatta dead...she knew the only thing coming now was a tsunami of problems for everyone globally. Brows furrowed at her lit up screen. After how she hung up on him before, she was hoping he wouldn't be too mad now.

There was barely two rings before she heard the familiar voice of Winston's.

"...So I assume you saw what happened just now..." he said.

"Yes..." she said, looking down.

" Well, want to know who showed up?" he said, his voice trying to sound more cheerful, sensing how distraught Angela was feeling.

"Who?" she said softly, resting her elbow on her knee.

" Genji. He said it was the right thing to do to come back amid all the discord going on...want to talk to him?" he asked.

Angela blinked. Genji was there that quick?

"Sure," she said, remembering how well they got along. She still had all the letters he wrote her over the course of the years. He seemed to be doing well under the tutelage of an Omnic known as Zenyatta.

"Dr. Ziegler? When are you coming back?" he asked.

Angela figured that Winston hadn't told him that she refused to. Part of her felt angry though. Was Winston using Genji as a way to convince her to come back?

" I...I haven't quite decided," she lied. There was some silence on the phone and she felt that Genji knew she was lying.

"Dr. Ziegler, you have seen the violence in the world escalating. And no force in the world seems to be able to stop it right now. There are corrupt organizations who are fostering this, profiting off of it. And with the new Omnic crisis, and now Mondatta dead... the world needs us now more than ever, don't you think? And...we need a good medic to help us make that happen," he said smoothly.

" Are you saying you guys cannot possibly function without me?" she teased half-heartedly.

There was a pause on the line.

"...Yes," he finally said, almost sheepishly.

Angela looked to an old picture she had framed on the small stand. It was an old picture of the Overwatch team, when Winston finally became an official member. It was one of her more fonder memories. Maybe if she went, she could work on correcting her failures. They could do it right this time. Overwatch could start anew.

"I will be there in one week...I still have much to do here before I return," she said finally. It was not like she had a contract with the military or medical staff here. She was here purely on her own volition. But she would need a week to get her own affairs in order before leaving.

" We will see you then. Safe travels, Doctor Ziegler," Genji said almost happily. Angela hung up and looked at her phone for a moment, wondering if she was doing the right thing. While she believed Overwatch should stay disbanded, part of her couldn't help but think it could be reformed for all the right reasons this time. That they all could learn from their mistakes. And she knew that not every former Overwatch agent would respond. They would need more heroes to join them in the fight. With new blood, it would be a new and different era than the one she joined into. Maybe a better one.


	2. A Shadow on the Path

The second chapter is out! Going to try and consistently update this story...the game itself is so much fun and the lore is fantastic. Let me know what you think of the story so far!

Note: This chapter has been revised to try and reflect some canon facts!

* * *

Chapter 2  
A Shadow on the Path

After the attack on the watchpoint at Gibraltar, Reaper had escaped...but not before he had witnessed Winston putting out the recall for former Overwatch agents. Agents that until now, he hadn't been able to adequately track down on his own.

This wasn't to say he hadn't already made a sizable dent in the number of former Overwatch agents.

He had been after anyone affiliated with Overwatch for a long time. While he had tracked many down and exacted his vengeance on them, there were ones that still escaped his grasp, and went under radar. It was the whole reason he even paid a visit to Gibraltar in the first place. He knew the base well, having been stationed there long ago a few times. He also knew that sensitive data was stored there in regards to the locations of all former Overwatch agents. He could finally put an end to them all if he could get that data. It was too bad his mission failed...

But he had a back up plan.

The recall was a wireless form of communication. While he may have had to be at the base to hack the information from the AI, Athena, wireless communication was a different matter. Once the signal was out, it was public. This meant that the signal put out could be hacked and followed. While he hated asking for favors, he made his way through a long, dark hallway, heading to a room filled with many monitors with endless coding and information scrolling on them. A young woman with brilliantly colored hair sat in there, amethyst eyes skimming over information on a screen next to a picture of a slim female.

"Sombra," his deep voice rumbled.

The young woman looked to the dark and tall figure standing in the doorway of the room. The screens were minimized as she gave him his full attention.

"Reaper. You don't often come finding me...what can I do for you?" she asked as she laid back in her seat.

Reaper walked into the room so the door would close automatically. Once he heard the soft swish of the door closing and locking, he made his way closer to her.

" I need...a favor," he said, folding his large arms.

A wide, mischievous grin came to Sombra's lips as she stared at him. This was new. Reaper needed a favor from her?

"Is that right? I'm not used to you asking me for help. Well then...what can I do for you?" she asked, looking at her pink nails.

Reaper looked to the glowing screens of the monitors. He knew she was quite young but she had proven to be quite the experienced hacker. It was the one thing he could respect about the girl. Everything else about her was slightly annoying to him.

"I need you to hack into that recall. That dumb monkey put out that recall to Overwatch agents...I may have failed in hacking their base for the information I wanted, but sending out a wireless communication was a mistake. Can you hack that signal and find out who it reached?"

The question was barely off his lips when Sombra sprung into action, a transparent, luminescent keyboard appearing in front of her. Nimble fingers was typing on the hovering, transparent keyboard, typing in various commands.

"Not a problem. I can tell you who they reached, and look into their information...see if they are on the move, or if they are staying put," she said, as glowing windows began to pop up. One showed a brown haired woman with goggles on. The location showed she had been reached in London, but was now somewhere in Spain. Reaper frowned...he knew Tracer had responded; she had been at the museum when he and Widowmaker tried getting the Doomfist. Another one popped up of the half cyborg, Genji. It appeared he had responded and reported to Gibraltar too. Then another window popped up of a blonde haired woman with gentle blue eyes.

"Ah, this one. She hasn't quite reached that base yet," Sombra said, nails typing on the away in mid-air at the glowing keys. More screens popped up. " She is booked for a flight to Zurich. Then she is heading to America for a day, it seems..."

Reaper took a step forward, his head tilting at the image for a moment.

"Any others?" he said gruffly.

Three more screens popped up, showing various faces.

" Jesse McCree received the signal, though there is no record of him making any plans to get to Europe from America," she said with a frown. " Reinhardt is in Greenland and will be responding. Information here says he is using a commercial flight to get there."

Reaper rolled his eyes at the mention of McCree. Reaper didn't want to shoot the man; he wanted to punch his skull in.

Reaper watched as more and more faces and names popped up all along with their contact information. For most of them, this was the beginning of the end.

"I want all this information downloaded for me...I'll be back in a few days for it," he said, turning to leave.

"A few days? Where are you going, amigo?" she asked, looking at him through all the screens.

"Out," he said simply, the doors opening and closing behind him as he left. 

* * *

Angela had gotten all her belongings packed and informed them that she had to go back to Europe. It was a teary goodbye as she made many friends in that tent camp. She promised she would return toward the end of the year to continue to help and may even bring presents given it would be near Christmas.

Angela had gone to Baghdad to get a flight to Cairo. From there, she would get her second leg flight to Zurich. She didn't want to think about the amount of jet lag the travel would give her, and made preparations to sleep on each flight to try and stave off that lethargic feeling she would get once she got to Zurich. While she slept rather soundly on the Baghdad to Cairo flight, the flight from Cairo to Zurich was nowhere near as relaxing.

It wasn't the crying child rows behind her, the stale peanuts, or the snotty flight attendant that prevented her from getting in her nap on the flight. The closer she got to Zurich, the more her mind began to dwell on the past. Zurich was the main Headquarters for Overwatch back in the day. Where the building had been destroyed, the land had been bulldozed and leveled. A memorial was put up there for those whose lives were lost in the explosion. Zurich was also her real home. She had a home there, but she rarely visited it. She was always traveling the world, going to where her help was needed. Her homeland was so full of good and bad memories, and it always gave her mixed feelings going back.

She tried everything she could to distract herself. From trying to watch the boring inflight movie, to going over some new research of hers on her laptop. Nothing was settling the bundle of anticipation welling up in her. Nothing could command her attention for very long before her thoughts drifted back to memories. Giving in to her whims, she dug around in her small carry on bag and pulled out an small picture frame with an old picture in it.

It was the same one she had up in her tent, the one she was looking at with Winston becoming a member of Overwatch while she was talking to Genji. It was a picture she was most fond of. They were all lined up and smiling for the camera. There was Jack, of course, with his dashing smile, winking for the camera. Tracer posing happily with a bright, wide smile full of energy. She was in the middle herself, grinning widely. Reinhardt dominated the picture despite standing in the background; his large suit was not very hard to miss, after all. Gabriel Reyes was off to the left, arms folded but she was always happy to see even he could flash a grin once in a while. Ana was stoic as ever, but if Angela peered just right, she could swear there was just the slightest upturn in the woman's lips that could be taken for a Mona Lisa smile.

Despite all her misgivings about Overwatch back then, she could not deny she made friends there.

 _It won't be like last time. The UN won't be involved. We won't be told what to do and how to do it. There will be no bureaucracy...no directors. Winston and I won't let that happen. We will be able to freely help whoever we want, however we can_ , she thought to herself. It was the only bit of solace she had about returning. Overwatch would not be like it was last time. Angela closed her eyes and sighed, trying to relax her mind. If she couldn't really sleep, keeping her eyes closed and resting them would be the next best thing. 

* * *

Angela woke when she heard the captain over the speaker. He was informing them about their approach into Zurich and how the weather was. There was some heavy clouds and light rain. Angela sat up and began preparing for the landing, her mind categorizing everything she had to do once she got off the plane.

Angela went through the paces once they landed. She retrieved her smaller bag from under her seat, and the larger one from the overhead bin. She made her way silently off the plane, went through customs without much of a problem, grabbed her two checked bags and made her way out. Her mind was in such a fog she barely realized she was at the arrivals curb and getting a cab. She tried to remain focused on her surroundings, but the rainy weather was causing her to space out.

Once she got to her home, she got in and put her bags to the wall for the moment. _A bath. I sorely need a bath_...she thought to herself. She did hate the struggle to maintain good hygiene during such long flights when you didn't readily have a shower available.

Angela didn't plan to head to Gibraltar right away. She gave herself a week to recuperate from her time in Iraq, and set other affairs in order before arriving at the old watchpoint. She also wanted some time to herself to relax. Spending all that time in a sandy desert made her truly appreciate her home and all its conveniences. Her home could certainly stand a good dusting, but it was a deal more nicer than the tents she had been living in for the past year or two.

Angela soaked in a hot bath filled with salts and vanilla oils. She stared at the white ceiling of her bathroom, candles lit all around. There was no music. Angela wanted silence. No sounds of explosions, of gunfire, of screaming, of crying, of yelling, or loud vehicle engines. Silence was such a rare and precious luxury in Iraq. The scents from the salts and oils, the warmth of the water and candles, it put her at the most ease she had felt in quite a long time. She stayed laying in the bath until the water turned cold, washing off quickly and draining the tub. She dried off and dressed, noticing that the day was quickly giving way to night outside. Tomorrow she would do what she needed. There was one more flight to take tomorrow to America...but for right now, exhaustion was catching up with her. And there was no better cure for exhaustion than a good night's sleep in a proper bed for once.

Angela slept the best she had in a very long time. The soft bed and plush comfort of her covers had lured her into a very swift sleep. The exhaustion had caught up with her, and she slept so deeply that not even a nightmare or dream could set root in her unconsciousness. She slept a good solid ten hours before she woke groggily, looking to her bedroom window. The sun was fighting so hard to break through the rainy skies, but was ultimately failing. Tired, blue eyes looked to the clock on her cherrywood nightstand. It was already well into the afternoon!

The time prompted Angela to wake up quickly and get a start on what she needed to get done. She ordered out for lunch, as even her dried goods had expired a while ago. She set about packing a light bag for her trip to America. Once she got some food in her, packed herself a small carry-on bag, she dressed. All she needed was one day there. It was a lot of flying back and forth but it meant much to her to make this trip before she embarked on the adventure of rejoining Overwatch. 

* * *

The flight was just as unmemorable as her last few leaving Iraq. She slept on and off on the plane, and ate light snacks until she arrived in Washington D.C., the nation's capitol. Once she cleared through Customs, and purchased some roses from a small shop in the airport, she grabbed a taxi and told the driver her destination; Arlington National Cemetery.

The rain was light as she walked down the street. The umbrella she brought shielded her from the rain as she made her way down the rows of white, uniform headstones, many adorned with flowers and flags. She made her way to the location of two specific graves. The weather seemed to reflect her mood as the sadness she felt began to weigh heavily in her.

A single red rose was placed on Jack's. She stared at the engraved letters for a while, spelling out his name, the day he was born, the day he died...Angela kept her jaw clenched, trying not to cry. Angela stayed rooted at the spot for a long while, feeling waves of regret washing over her.

She finally tore herself away from Jack's grave to visit the next one. The bouqet of roses she purchased was placed on this one. Angela couldn't stop herself as tears began to leak down her cheeks silently. The rain began to fall heavier, as if nature itself was feeling the pain that was swelling up inside the blonde doctor.

"I'm sorry I failed you, Gabriel. I tried so hard to save you...forgive me..." she sniffled. " Overwatch is being recalled...and I'm going back. Shocking, right? You knew how I felt about Overwatch. Sometimes...I think you felt the same way. Just not for the same reasons as me. But this time, we're going to do things our way. The right way. With no outside influences. Another Omnic Crisis is happening...and the world is falling into disarray once more. And...well. I'm the medic. I need to make sure nothing happens to anyone. I can't make the same mistakes I made by you and Jack...I won't this time."

Angela stayed at the grave a little longer, not aware someone was watching her. Unknown to her, she had been followed since her arrival in Zurich. The ominous figure with the white skull mask stood in the shadows of a building not far away, observing the woman silently. He didn't wish to disturb her at this moment. There were some conflicting thoughts in Reaper's head...but he finally settled on one, kind thought about her. That once he took care of all the Overwatch agents, he would ensure when he killed her, she could be buried in that empty grave of his.


	3. The Gibraltar Reunion

Finally my third chapter! Sorry it took so long...with the Lunar new year event, I been tied up getting loot boxes! I do hope everyone is enjoying the story...trying a slow start but it is going to get quite interesting soon enough, you'll see! Leave a review and let me know your thoughts! And thanks to everyone who follows this story!

* * *

Chapter 3

The Gibraltar Reunion

The day was warm, the breeze gentle and not a cloud to mar the bright blue sky. It was an uplifting kind of day compared to the rainy week Angela spent in Switzerland. With all her business there taken care of, she was more than eager to take her trip to Spain and be brought to Gibraltar. As the transport ship began to descend onto the landing pad, there was a bit of a leap in Angela's chest. As she looked out the windows, she could see familiar figures standing off on a platform near the launch gantry of the base. There was a tall, overshadowing figure she knew was Reinhardt. Winston was there too, easily the most recognizable. Next to him was a much shorter man with a clawed hand. Torbjörn seemed to be waving at them. Genji was there, the sun reflecting off his shining armor. There was a hovering omnic she knew must be the Zenyatta she heard so much about.

The ship landed safely under Lena's piloting. The door opened and Angela walked out to the others. It felt surreal to see them all again, that even when they all hugged her and greeted her warmly, it felt too good to be true. But...there she was. Back on the Gibraltar base surrounded by its salty sea air, and the lingering scent of fuel from the nearby fuel storage buildings. The voices of her friends that filled her ears began to ground her to the realization she was back. She was back in Overwatch.

" Angela, I have good news," Winston said.

"That right?" Angela said, letting Winston escort her down into a large meeting room, and everyone else filing in behind her.

"Yes, Fareeha will be on her way. She will be joining us in a day or two," he said proudly.

Fareeha was someone Angela always got along with. Angela knew of her desire to join Overwatch once she was of age, and had gone off to join the Egyptian Army to earn her merit. She had always wanted to follow in her mother's footsteps and Angela found it commendable, but was secretly glad she didn't get that chance. Overwatch was disbanded before Fareeha got a chance to join up. She didn't get exposed to the corrupt and overly bureacratic Overwatch that she knew. This reformation of Overwatch which they would govern on their own would give her a better opportunity than the UN regulated one could ever offer.

" That's great! I am sure she was quite estatic," Angela said with a grin.

As they got to the main meeting room, she noticed the large table in the middle was laden with all kinds of food, drinks, and some party favors.

"We figured we would celebrate our best medic and doctor coming back, " Winston explained.

" We had the week to plan this gracious celebration," Reinhardt said behind her with a grin.

Angela ventured toward the table, stopping and sniffing the air curiously.

"Torbjörn cooked his Swedish meatballs, didn't he?" she inquired, turning to look at the short man. He laughed loudly and nodded.

"Sure did! I remember how much you liked them. Reinhardt cooked pork schnitzel, and I believe Lena has fried fish to contribute," Torbjörn explained, taking a seat at the table. He waved at the table. "Everyone, take a seat! Food's going to go cold!"

Angela sat with them and piled food onto her plate. Everyone was curious what she had been up to the past few years. So over warm food and cold drinks, she explained her work at the Swiss hospital she was based at, her advancement in her own nanobiology research, the work she had been doing in both Syria and Iraq, and some of her trips in Southeast Asia with others working on better vaccines and disease prevention. It was the kind of work most expected of her.

Genji told her about his time spent with Zenyatta. The two wandered the world for a while, and Zenyatta had helped him come to terms with being half cyborg, something Angela knew Genji had long been self conscious about.

Reinhardt had returned to Stuttgart, and traveled around, still keeping his Crusader armor. He proudly explained he continued to defend the innocent and help better the lives of villages and cities by disbanding unruly gangs.

Winston, she found out, had stayed in Gibraltar, tinkering with his own inventions but ever watching the world fall into turmoil. It sounded like a lonely life, but Winston insisted the company of Athena, the base's AI system, was great company.

Lena had a great girlfriend back home in London named Emily. Emily understood Lena's sense of duty and was fine with her returning to Overwatch to help better the world. After the death of Mondatta, and the spiraling chaos that began to ensue, Emily knew the world needed people like Lena to be a hero and protect them.

Torbjörn had returned to Sweden to be with his wife and kids after Overwatch was disbanded. Angela had kept in touch with him over the years in the form of sporadic letters here and there. Torbjörn had said any time he got wind that one of his weapons was found or in use, he would track down who it was and retrieve his weapon back for proper disposal. When Angela asked how he would get the weapons back, Torbjörn only gave a mischevious grin as an answer.

The chatter among the large table was warm and friendly. It relaxed Angela and she even got to laugh out loud for what felt like the first time in years at Torbjörn's jokes and Reinhardt's storytelling. Out of them all, those two always knew how to put a smile on her face. In battle, she also knew she could always count on them to help her too.

It had felt like a long time since she was able to feel this carefree with company full of laughter. As the food began to disappear though, and the drinks were gone, their conversations turned to more sombering talk about the world around them and the chaos it was quickly falling into. Terrorist attacks in Numbani, the Second Omnic Crisis in Russia, the assassination of Mondatta, which Lena seemed very upset about not being able to prevent. Widowmaker and Reaper, Talon's most active soldiers, seemed to pose the biggest threat to them. Reinhardt waved his hand when the subject was brought up.

"As long as we stick together, they are of no threat to us. We will crush them, together," he said confidentally.

The time ticked away and the food was long gone by time they all decided it was time to get some rest. The ship was moved to the hangar. Reinhardt insisted on carrying Angela's bags to the crew quarters despite her chiding him for his back issues. Some of the bags held sensitive equipment that needed to get to the medical bay. It was on the other side of the base, in a large room situated above Winston's research facility. Those were kept on the ship for now while Reinhardt stubbornly retrieved Angela's personal bags and carried them downstairs into the crew quarters. Angela took the bed in the corner and against the wall. Her belongings were placed at the end of the bed.

She began to go through them, taking out some pictures and putting them on the wall. The old one of them as a group, of some shots with others like Jack, Fahreeha and Torbjörn during happier times. There were also some small pictures of children she had helped in Iraq and Indonesia, which made her smile. A smaller, personal photo was placed under her pillow for safekeeping.

Everyone around her was settling in for the night, taking turns using the communal bathroom to wash up and change into night clothes. Angela was quick about her turn, and returned to her bed in some warm cotton pajamas. The lights went out as everyone settled into their respective beds in the quarters, chatter dying down in the soft ambient light from surroundings lockers and computer screens. Angela settled into her bed. There was a moment where she slowly exhaled, enjoying the growing silence around her. As soon as her eyes closed, she fell asleep...but it was no peaceful sleep she may have hoped to have fallen into.

Fire. She remembered that well. The ringing in her ears. The explosion had been so loud, and had effected many city blocks. She found survivors covered in dust and blood, broken and crying. She helped them to safety. There were many dead bodies too...she couldn't ressurrect them all. They were lost to death. There were some Overwatch agents she had worked with among the sea of rubble...their face oddly blank and staring when she could remember them laughing just the day before over jokes. Somewhere, she heard her name called among the burning remnants of the building. She ran to that voice in desperation...it sounded so broken and weak.

Angela woke with a start. She was covered in sweat, and her heart was racing. Even though she realized she was in the crew quarters on Gibraltar, she could still smell the burning debris of the headquarters. Angela sat up in her bed and soon noticed that she was the only one in the quarters.

 _What I need is a good breakfast, and work to distract me. I got a lot to do...there is that equipment I need to bring to the medical labs, and I want to take a look at the equipment already there. Yes...a busy day to keep the memories at bay,_ she thought in an oddly cheerful manner.

After a quick wash up, and dressing in some casual clothing, she made the long walk to the research facility. Back in the day, it would have had more workers than themselves. It used to be full of engineers, technicians, scientists, radar specialists...and now it felt like a ghost town. It was filled with an eerie silence that crept down her spine.

Angela entered the research facility to find only Winston. He was at this computer, screens popping up which showed news from around the world.

"Good afternoon, Winston," she said with a smile.

Winston turned around in his seat to see her and smiled.

" Afternoon, Angela...Reinhardt moved your equipment into the labs already. You just have to unpack them," he stated as he reached for a banana.

Angela rolled her eyes. "How many times must I tell that man he will put his back out trying to do everything himself?" she fumed.

"I helped him, don't fuss, Angela. I told him I would help because if you found out he did it alone, you would be after him for it," Winston said with a chuckle.

Angela was relieved someone had sense to not let Reinhardt do everything himself. As Winston ate his banana, she came up to his work station and looked at the various screens he had open. One of them caught her eye.

"Winston...how did someone break into the Mesa watchpoint?" she asked, looking to him. The Mesa one had been shut down for some time,

" Don't know," Winston grumbled. "But the suspect has targeted previous Overwatch facilities before and taken some protoype weaponry. Helix Security is supposed to be guarding our former watchpoints, but...they said this one was very quick, and had advanced military training. It's a bit unnerving he was able to get past them."

"Is he like the terrorist, Reaper?" Angela asked. There was something familiar about the man in blue with the red visor, but she couldn't place it.

"No. Reaper kills his targets or attempts to...this guy, Soldier:76 as they're calling him, hasn't killed one person during his break ins at the facilities. The Helix Security personnel at Grand Mesa report only having sustained minor injuries," Winston explained while showing Angela the previous articles about the mysterious man.

Angela sat down and contemplated the information. He didn't kill. He certainly could have if he was as skilled as the news was reporting, but he went out of his way not to. Attacking former Overwatch watchpoints was concerning in the fact not all of the locations were public. How did this man know where to go? How did he come by such sensitive information? What more, how was he able to navigate the facilities with ease? He certainly seemed to know what he was looking for in each one. Angela didn't believe for a second that this man was going to sell what he stole on the black market...but she had a hunch that he was arming himself with it for an unknown purpose. Maybe he was getting tired of seeing the world falling into complacency and hesitating to act. Someone had to.

" He must be a former Overwatch member...it is the only deduction I can come to to explain how he easily infiltrated each base and knew their locations, " she said finally. Winston had turned to look at her.

" I fear you may be right...it is the same conclusion I came to myself," he replied and looked back to the screens.

" ...We need to track him down. Find out why he us robbing our former facilities," she said finally.


	4. A New Arrival

This chapter came out a little shorter than I intended, and I hope to make it up in the next chapter! The next chapter is going to be a lot more action packed...and better yet, Angela's going to see Reaper for the first time in the next one, so stay tuned for it! Hope everyone enjoys and thanks for all the lovely reviews everyone!

Note: To my current readers, I updated the second chapter to reflect some canon facts I forgot about, sorry about that!

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Chapter 4  
A New Arrival

The Texas night was warm and clear. Millions of stars sparkled in the velvet sky overhead. The moon shone its brightest, illuminating the small town that was situated in the desert. Off in the outskirts of the rural town, was an old, dilapidated house. The paint was peeling off the outside walls, the old porch having more than a few rotted planks of wood. Most of the windows were broken or altogether gone. Inside, a fine layer of dust covered everything. As old and unsound as the house seemed to be, it was harboring one occupant. An older man with a blue and white jacket, with the number '76' emblazoned across the back in red. Soldier 76, the man who had the whole world searching for him, was sitting in an old rickety chair reading a newspaper by candlelight.

The news about the break in at the museum had made national headlines. The terrorist known as Reaper was accompanied by the Talon operative Widowmaker. It was reported they were after the Doomfist that was currently residing at that museum. What peaked 76's interest was that two former Overwatch operatives had come after the two in an attempt to stop them. The investigation into the break-in was ongoing, of course. He was sure the UN and IJC were trying to keep things quiet while they conducted the manhunt on him, and now looked into why former Overwatch operatives were suddenly active. Was a recall initiated? It was a big risk to recall Overwatch agents and Jack felt it irresponsible. Anyone found involved in any form of Overwatch activity would be hunted down and arrested.

The newspaper was thrown to the ground and the candle put out. He sat back in the chair, which creaked in protest to his weight put on its back. 76 sat in the darkness for a moment as he let himself think what his next actions should be. He wanted to investigate why Winston and Tracer were suddenly active, but there was something of bigger importance that took priority. He wanted to follow up on another lead that was half way across the world in the warm sands of Egypt. 

* * *

It wasn't far from where Soldier 76 was hiding out another familiar face was smoking a cigar and watching the news in some seedy bar. A man in a blue suit was talking about the second Omnic Crisis in Russia, and moved on to inform them about new terror attacks in Numbani. Hostilities against Omnics had been on the rise especially after the assassination of Mondatta. It also mentioned the ongoing investigation into the attempted theft of the Doomfist by Talon operatives Reaper and Widowmaker. The news then showed the picture of a bearded man in a cowboy hat.

" Authorities are also looking for this man, Jesse McCree. He is wanted for armed robbery of a hypertrain headed to Houston..."

Jesse paid for his whiskey and quietly left before the bartender or any coherent drunk could match the photo on the screen to him. As he walked down the dusty street under the night sky, he thought back when he first saw the footage of the museum attack. Winston and Tracer had gone after those two terrorists. It was the first time he had seen either of them in quite some time. He had gotten the recall on his own communication device, despite having left Blackwatch and Overwatch altogether before Gabriel Reyes staged that coup on the Headquarters. He had also decided that evening to have target practice with that device. It was now in a million different pieces in some desert wash.  
However, it was becoming more of an appealing idea to respond to the recall and join Winston and Tracer. Staying in America was dangerous since he was a wanted man now. He would do some investigative work and figure out where the two were staying, and from there, would figure out a way to get to them. 

* * *

A few days had gone by and everyone was settling into the Gibraltar base. Angela had taken residence in the room above Winston's lab. It was the old medical lab, and she had set out to clean it all up. The equipment was dusted off and powered up to make sure it worked. The old beds had their linens cleaned and put back on. The operating room, which was sectioned off into its own room of glass walls, was thoroughly cleaned and sterilized to Angela's standards. By time she was done, the room was clean enough to eat off its tiled floors. If anyone thought that a little heavy duty cleaning would wear out Angela, they were sorely mistaken.  
Angela wanted to compile a database of updated medical files on those present on the base. It had been so long since she seen them all, and as a doctor, a lot could happen in that span of time. She gave them physicals and asked about any current health issues. She began chiding Reinhardt for not putting himself on a vitamin regime given his age and activity. It was something she started him on immediately despite Reinhardt's protests that he was as fit as a bull. Most of them forgot what it was like to try and argue with Angela when it came to their health and well being. Winston was even taken aback when Angela agreed that Athena was right; he ought to be doing more cardio.

Genji was the last to be evaluated that evening. Angela gave him his physical and checked out his cybernetics which were all in excellent shape. He reported having never had issues with them over the years. As she typed up his data file, he looked at her fondly. He had always had a soft spot for the doctor, especially after she had rescued him. It was not the most convenient rescue. The damage Hanzo had done to him resulted in the fact he had to be fitted with cybernetics to even have a hope of staying alive. While he had had trouble accepting that about himself for a while, he finally found peace with it and was thankful he was even given a second chance. But...for all his fondness for her and all she done for him, he knew she would never reciprocate those feelings. Even back then, he knew where her heart truly lied...and he always felt it had been misplaced.

"Dr. Ziegler, you know...you always seem at peace with everything when you're trying to help someone," he said as he sat on the examination table. Angela looked to Genji for a moment and offered a small smile.

"I suppose so. It's what us doctors try to do, after all," she said, finishing up his file and saving it. " That's it for you, Genji. I think tonight Reinhardt is cooking for us. Did you want to do cooking cuty tomorrow?"

"Ah, no thank you. Not everyone has a taste for most Japanese foods beyond sushi and tempura," he said with a little laugh. " I shall be on my way, Dr. Ziegler, and thank you again."

Genji gave a bow towards her and exited her labs. After all the work she had been doing the past few hours, she felt quite famished. She logged out of the computer and left her lab. The metal doors swished open automatically and closed back just as swiftly once she exited. Angela looked across from her spot to see Winston at his desk. Winston was sitting over there, looking at his computer screens. She walked over and looked at all the web pages he had up, which broadcasted various news stations from across the world.

"No sign of him, I take it," she said, knowing full well he was waiting to hear about any sighting of their target, Soldier 76. Winston's lips moved a little as he grumbled.

"No, sadly. Plenty more of attacks in Russia though, and a thwarted terrorist attack in Berlin by some radicalized anti-Omnic gang. Russia is apparently beginning to build new mechs to combat the Omnics," he said, pointing to one screen. "76's last known spotting was in Dorado, though...he could be making his way to America."

"Or south to the Bolivian or Argentinian watchpoints there. Hard to know until he strikes," she said, blue eyes scanning over all the news reports glowing before her. " Any news on McCree?"

"None. No response. But the recall did reach him...he may have left before everything went down, but he was still part of us. It was worth a shot," he said, reaching into the small mini-fridge to his left for a jar of peanut butter. Angela watched with apprehension in her eyes.

"I still cannot understand how you have made it this far only on peanut butter," she remarked.

"Don't be silly...I also have bananas," Winston said with a cheeky grin.

Angela was about to say something, but a sudden blue streak and chipper voice took her by surprise. No matter how long she'd known Lena, her zipping around always had taken Angela off guard.

" Guess what! Fareeha's here! She's just arrived!"

Angela had always been on good terms with Ana's daughter, Fareeha. However, the poor girl never trult got a chance to join up with Overwatch like she had wanted. It made her wonder how she even knew to get in contact with them.

"Winston. How did you manage to get a hold of Fareeha? She has never been an official Overwatch agent," Angela asked, folding her arms.

"I made a few calls and got in contact with her...she was working for the Helix Security, but was more interested in meeting up with us," he said with a smile, sliding out of his seat. "Come on, let's go meet her!"

The three left Winston's research lab to go see Fareeha. She was just walking up the path with Reinhardt and Torbjörn. She was smiling and seemed in good spirits. Lena happily zipped over to them, giving Fareeha a sudden hug and welcome. Angela and Winston made their way over. Fareeha grinned and hugged Angela tight.

"It's nice to see you again, Dr. Ziegler. You look well!" she said, looking her over promptly, once she released her from the tight hug.

" And you've grown! How has Egypt been?" she asked.

It seemed to be custom now that everyone caught up with each other over dinner when they first arrived. They all made their way over to the meeting room to have the dinner Reinhardt cooked and learn what Fareeha had been up to. She talked about joining the Egyptian army, then finding work with Helix Security, a company that ironically guarded most of the shut down watchpoints that once belonged to Overwatch. There were stories of stopping civil unrest, as well as the heralding tale of the Anubis AI, which Overwatch quarantined a long time ago.  
Winston filled her in about the attack Reaper made on their base, and the real story behind the attempted theft of the Doomfist. Fareeha was surprised, but glad Winston was safe and they managed to stop the two.  
As the food began to disappear, Winston began to explain that the recall was indeed illegal and he knew that. They all had decided though, that now they were all together, they would remake Overwatch into what it should have been and do their best to make a difference in the world again. Everything the other countries and agencies were doing was not working, and the Omnic Crisis in Russia was beginning to spin out of control. The world needed heroes then, and they certainly needed them now. This was why they all came back, to make a difference once more.

"You know, I completely agree. Helix does what they can, but...I sometimes feel it isn't enough. I will be happy to serve Overwatch under your guidance, Winston," Fareeha said.

The evening ended on a high note, with the team gaining one more member. They were now a team of seven. There were so many other agents the recall went to, and Angela knew some would not respond for fear of imprisonment. Some she had to accept the fact they may have passed away. This was why they needed to recruit and it would be something she would talk to Winston about in the morning. For now, Angela laughed and joined in some dessert while Reinhardt told stories. Some of it felt like old times, but somehow, a little lonelier than before.


	5. In Death's Shadow

This chapter came out a little quicker than I imagined! Reaper and Angela finally meet...and it isn't pretty! Going to try and work on the sixth chapter over the week, so enjoy! And thanks to everyone leaving kind reviews! They are really appreciated!

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Chapter 5  
In Death's Shadow

A week had gone by in what felt like a span of a few hours. Time was funny that way when there was so much to do.

The team had decided to practice together and brush up on their team skills. While most of them had worked together before, and even on missions, quite some time had passed since then. It was always a good measure to practice team coordination, especially since there was a new member to consider. It only took a few practice runs to learn that having someone flying in the sky like Fareeha was a blessing. With eyes looking down and being able to communicate an enemy's precise location, it was going to be hard for anyone to flank or sneak up on them.

The day had just ended with another quite successful practice and everyone was washing up and dressing in the crew quarters. Winston hadn't joined them that afternoon because he was finishing a project of his which he insisted was going to help them. No one debated the absence. Everyone knew Winston was the scientist of the group and often came up with great discoveries. After all, Lena wouldn't be around if it hadn't been for Winston crafting the chronal accelerator for her.

The six of them were debating on who should cook dinner for tonight when Winston came bursting in, out of breath. He had run all the way from his research lab to the crew quarters, his newest device in his hand.

" Everyone! I have new information! We need a team to go to Madrid!"

Everyone blinked, but soon they began going to dress in their outfits. Reinhardt was getting his armor on when he turned to Winston.

"What is going on in Madrid? What is that device you're holding?"

Winston looked down to the round, electronic device in his hand.

" This is a scanner. I've just finished it. It can be set to use radio waves and satellite communications to scan almost any channel we want to tune into. I was testing it out and tuned into a random channel in Madrid. From what Athena translated for me, there is an imminent risk to a cultural center in Madrid. The people on the channel...they were talking about carrying out some attack," he said with a frown. " There are Omnics there with humans. A representative from the Shambali is there as well. I think they are the main target."

Everyone was suited up quickly. The sun was already dipping below the horizon by time they boarded the transport and Lena began to flip the switches. Winston volunteered to stay behind. Someone had to after the incident with Reaper. Athena was guarding more valuable information than just former Overwatch agents' locations, and it was too precious to leave her alone.

The five of them strapped in while Lena piloted the transport. Coordinates were set for Madrid and the transport ship took off at its quickest speed. Angela looked at everyone strapped in and smiled a little. It felt odd being on the ship with them all, heading out on a mission. The whole situation felt more like a dream rather than reality. There was a strange kind of nervousness in her the closer they got to Madrid. All these years she had been on the front lines with people who had rudimentary arsenal. There was not a whole lot of sophisticated equipment for her to work with in that desert. The enemies she was about to face she was willing to bet had much more advanced weapons and tactics. While her nerves seemed rattled at the expectation of such danger, her mind was stubbornly stuck on the resolve to be there to aid her team. No matter how sticky the situation, Angela could always to be counted upon to fly in there and patch up her team to continue the fight.

The night gave them good cover as they went dark and flew under radar. Lena landed the transport in a dark field not far from the location they needed to be in. As they filtered out, Fareeha looked around, seeming confused.

"Tracer, this doesn't look like a city..."

"No, love! This is just some park...it had the most space available and was the closest I could get...we'll be okay!" Lena responded cheerfully.

Reinhardt and Angela were the easiest to recognize given their suits. Genji and Fareeha wore some cloaks to hide most of their suit. Tracer put on her bomber jacket and walked with Torbjörn, both of them looking the most normal and least likely to raise suspicions. Everyone wore a communicator in case they needed to call for back up. Reinhardt and Angela stayed in the darkness of the park they were in, which no one seemed to visit this late at night. Genji and Fareeha went forward toward the lights of the city, but at a half way point, hidden among the shadows of trees.

" I'll go mingle with the people, Torbjörn...want to stay along the street and keep an eye out?" Lena asked. The Swedish man nodded. The two had come onto a bustling street after walking along a small pathway from the park. Lena zipped her jacket up and went in, noticing the throng of people and Omnics on the cultural center's front lawn. There were tall buildings alongside the center, which appeared to be apartment complexes. Lena was analyzing the gaps between the buildings as possible flanking routes in case things got sticky. At the moment, nothing seemed amiss.

Humans and Omnics were conversing peacefully. There were booths lined up on the lawn, owned both by Omnics and humans, sharing their culture and what not. There were handmade items to be bought, food to eat, and even drinks served for both humans and Omnics. The air felt carefree and there was even laughter from groups of friends gathered together. It made Lena smile. It reminded her a bit of her neighborhood in London.  
She navigated through the crowds and took notice of security. She was used to security being more undercover in black suits and white shirts, but these ones had tactical gear. Lena found it odd but didn't question it right away.  
On the front steps of the stone building was the Shambali representative she was informed about. Kids were gathered around the peaceful looking Omnic who was playing tricks to entertain the overexcited children. Somewhere in the building she heard Spanish music playing, and caught a glimpse or two of people and Omnics dancing together inside when she stood up on her toes to peek through the open doorways behind the Shambali Omnic.

"Well. So far, everything seems fine," she radioed to the others.

"Copy that," came Fareeha's voice.

Lena looked to the security around the place. She noticed two on the balcony of the cultural center that overlooked the lawn with all the people and booths. They seemed quite alert, and were heavily armed. It amazed Lena that no one seemed to question this. Maybe the city understood the need for such force? Maybe there had been incidents between Omnics and humans? It was also possible that they had the same information they had, and were expecting an attack. After Mondatta's assassination, it was a good measure to have a show of force to dissuade possible troublemakers. There was tension behind the cheerful veil that she was seeing now. But...it didn't hurt either to see what the guards were up to either.

Lena took her phone out and loaded a mobile game, appearing to walk aimlessly as she played. She came to stop near one of these armed guards as her finger swiped over colorful icons and cheerful shouts echoed from the phone. The guard didn't seem to see her a threat. It was only a young girl playing a game on her phone, after all. Despite all the cheerful fun going on, she could have been anyone bored with the surroundings and was finding ways to entertain herself. Lena was near the gap between the cultural building and the neighboring building, and leaned on the wall in the dark there, still within hearing shot of the guard she had an eye on. The guard was soon talking into his radio softly as he was feet within her range.

"Copy that, Talon one. Green to commence..."

Lena heard the locking of a magazine into the high powered rifle the man had. Realization dawned on her. The men here were not security. They were the attackers...they were Talon. Lena shoved the phone into her pocket and radioed her team.

"The security guards are Talon operatives! Everyone, get to the center immediately!"

Lena was gone in the blink of an eye and was in front of the Shambali Omnic again.

"Sir, we have to get inside!" she said suddenly. No one knew she was there until she spoke. The calm looking Omnic looked at her then to a man next to him in a suit.

"Miss, what is the meaning of this?" the man demanded. "Yandatta, is-"

"Is in danger! Get him inside!" she pointed at the center. Gunfire began to break out as the Talon operatives moved their way in, targeting the Omnics in the crowd. Lena whipped around with both of her pulse guns in hand and began firing back as two operatives began to advance on them. Eyes looked to the rooftops of the buildings across the street and noticed it in time.

"Get down!" she yelled and turned, tackling Yandatta to the ground. A sniper bullet had gone by, whizzing past the man's face and finding a mark in the pillar behind them. Yandatta scrambled up and the man reacted quick, grabbing him and rushing him into the building. Lena got back up and growled. She was not about to let Widowmaker get another Shambali Omnic. Suddenly, she was gone from that point and was racing to the rooftops across the street.

Fareeha had taken off into the dark skies, looking down to the lit up building. She communicated the locations of the operatives as the other four moved in. Genji was ordered to flank in from the west point of the location.

"Let's go, Mercy!" Reinhardt roared and began to run in. Angela followed quickly behind, making her way through the dark pathway. This was it. She was going into battle again with her friends. Her heart beat hard in her chest as she flew after Reinhardt when he decided to charge forward. Every fiber of her was nervous, but there was an exhileration she always felt going to the frontlines like this. The people here did not deserve this kind of violence and she was determined to help prevent it any way she could.

Keen, blue eyes took in the scene as she and Reinhardt ended up on the opposite side of the street, seeing the ensuring chaos. People and Omnics were running away from the gunfire. Torbjörn was setting up a turret across the street, and was yelling at her and Reinhardt to get in there. Reinhardt began to advance in...and being in such a big suit of armor, he became a quick target. His shield went up quick, the bullets hitting it with a dull, smacking thud. Angela looked to see two operatives concentrating their fire on him.

A blue light erupted from her Cadeceus staff as she powered Reinhardt up. The cool, empowering feeling of that beam made Reinhardt laugh.

"Get them, Reinhardt!" she cheered as he charged forward and slammed the two operatives into the stone wall of the center. She flew in, both of them on the front lawn as operatives began to come out of nowhere. The cultural center's doors were closed and locked in an effort to protect those inside. Angela could glimpse people pulling large curtains closed so there was no clear shot into the building from the sniper who had tried to target Yandatta. At least they seemed to be safe for now.

Up on the roof, she saw the glowing green of a familiar blade. Genji was up there taking care of any operatives who may have been trying to find roof access. With those bases covered, she stayed with Reinhardt. There were times the Talon operatives tried to take shots at her, but Reinhardt was quick to throw up his shield each time. Nearly ten were swarming them.

"Assist me, Mercy!" Reinhardt yelled. Angela used her staff once more, the blue light tethering to him. Reinhardt slammed down the large hammer he had and the ground was rocked. It felt like a small earthquake as the hammer caused a good portion of the lawn to crack and split, knocking down the operatives around them. Reinhardt was taking swings at them and she was about to follow when one of Fareeha's rockets she fired knocked her back and far.

Angela stood, feeling rather dizzy as she clutched her staff. Reinhardt was in the distance. She looked around and noticed she was at a gap between the center and the next building. It was dark down the small path between them, and she couldn't get to Reinhardt. He was too far, and operatives were coming out of the building next to her. They were concentrated on Reinhardt to notice Angela standing a few yards away near that dark gap.

"Verdammt!" she growled. Even if she could fly to Reinhardt, she'd made herself an easy target trying to get there. Looking to the gap, she saw it could lead around the building to the other side.

"I'm coming, Reinhardt!" she radioed. There was no answer, and she couldn't be sure if his communication was damaged. She ran down the dark path and took a right. The path was narrow behind the center and there was a walled in patio in the back. She began to run down the path, seeing the faint glow of the lights from the front lawn at the gap at the end. I can just end up on the east side of the building, and sneak up by Reinhardt. _I'll heal him if he needs it then damage boost him to take out those operatives. I'm sure Torbjörn is there now too...everything will be fine!_ she told herself as she ran. She wouldn't make it.

There was a deep, echoing laughter as a dark shadow appeared out of nowhere. The patio's lantern lights strung long the back patio barely illuminated a tall, cloaked man with a white mask. Angela stopped dead in her tracks and began to back away. The staff was fastened to her back while she went for her blaster. She knew who this man was. This was the terrorist Reaper she had been hearing about. Angela didn't wait for him to say anything. She got four rounds off her blaster which she aimed for his mask.

No bullet hit its mark. The man became a floating wraith of shadows and the bullets flew through his head harmlessly. What in God's name was this man?! Eyes caught the faint sight of two large shotguns aimed for her. Angela dove for cover behind the walled patio as the shotgun's shot buried into it and the lawn. _This can't be happening! Am I going to die behind this building!? No, I refuse! I won't!_

Angela had reloaded and came back out from behind the wall and fired off more shots. The man went into that smoke like form once more, laughing still at her attempts to shoot him.

"Your aim is still off to this day...how disappointing," he mocked.

He became solid once more but as Angela tried firing, her gun only clicked. She went behind the patio wall again to reload, cursing under her breath. Before she could come back out, the tall man had appeared in front of her. Angela took the blaster and went to pistol whip him but he caught both her wrists and pinned them above her head.

"Are you even trying, doc?" he sneered. Angela could swear she saw a glowing red in the eyeholes of that mask. Was Reaper even a man or a true demon come to life? Everything about him was frightening.

"Get off me!" she yelled and kicked at him. Reaper only laughed at her feeble attempts to harm him before throwing her across the path. Those shotguns came back out and she looked up to both barrels. At this short distance, she knew that scatter would rip through her suit and body. She stared at that white mask in that dull lantern light...the last thing she'd see the moment he pulled those triggers.

"Your days of playing God are over, doc!" he shouted angrily.

Angela put her arm up defensively...but a loud, deep roar of a man took them both by surprise. Angela looked just in time to see Reinhardt charging down the pathway and taking Reaper with him. Wide, shocked eyes followed Reinhardt's sliding body as he was about to pin Reaper into the wall at the far end of the path. Reinhardt thought he had the cloaked man but before he slammed him into the wall, there was a puff of black smoke and Reinhardt found himself slamming into the wall alone.

He moved away from the wall and frowned, turning to see Angela still sitting on the ground, frozen in shock.

"Are you okay?" he asked as he ran over to her and helped her up. Angela was shaking and nodded silently. Reinhardt shook his head. "No. You're not...come on, it's over...Reaper was the last one."

The two walked onto the severely damaged lawn of the center. It was a war zone. Angela barely registered the damage the six of them caused as she began to ponder everything Reaper said. How did he know so much about her? Who was he? He was unlike anything she ever seen. His abilities shouldn't even be possible even with the advanced technology they had today. What technology could let someone morph their body into nothing but shadow and smoke?

The six of them got out before authorities arrived, only staying long enough to confirm Yandatta was safe. They got onto the transport and Angela used some of the medical kits to help fix everyone up. Lena was fine but seemed in an angry mood; Widowmaker had escaped her once more. Fareeha was apologizing for the blast that knocked Angela back. Angela only nodded and gave a small smile. It had been jarring but the miscalculated rocket was the least of her worries at the moment.

* * *

Their arrival back should have been a happy occasion. Besides the success of their first real mission in years, Winston also informed them that Jesse McCree had arrived at the Gibraltar base. There was more excitement among them as they learned a former Overwatch member was rejoining the ranks. Only Angela and Reinhardt were solemn as they all exited the transport upon landing back on base. Winston and Jesse were waiting for them in front of the research lab. The quiet Reinhardt and Angela didn't escape Jesse's eye. He said his greetings to them. Reinhardt shook his hand and Angela surprised him by giving him a hug.

"Come on in everyone! I made some peanut butter sandwiches for now...isn't much. Let's have a debriefing what happened," he said. They all filed into the lab and found places to sit. Angela perched herself on a desk as Reinhardt recapped everything that happened. He tapered off and looked down for a moment when he talked about finding Angela.

"...I had thought I heard she was coming, but...I never saw her after she was blasted back by Fareeha's rocket. I could only think she would try to flank around the building to keep cover...and so I went back there..."

Everyone was dead silent in the large lab as Reinhardt grimaced.

"And?" Winston nudged gently, wanting Reinhardt to continue.

"Reaper was there. He had his shotguns pointed right at Angela who he had on the ground. I...I didn't think. I charged right at him. He got distracted but I caught him when I charged. Not a lot of good though. The man disappeared like smoke before I could pin him to that wall," he said as anger bled into his words.

Everyone turned to look at Angela.

"Angela?...What happened back there?" Genji asked as gently as he could. He had noticed how quiet her and Reinhardt had been boarding the transport carrier, but didn't think to remark on it.

Angela looked at them all.

"I...don't want to talk about it," she said firmly.

Angela needed air. The image of that white mask was haunting her even when she knew she was somewhere safe from him. She left the lab and went to near the radar array, sitting on some spare grass and overlooking the cargo ships passing by. There was a calm sea wind coming up from the cliffs that felt more refreshing than the stuffy lab.

She didn't want to tell Reinhardt or anyone that Reaper talked like he knew her. What would they think? Even she could not sort out the jumbled thoughts in her own head about Reaper. He knew she was a doctor. He remarked on her aim still being off...how would he even had known her aim had never been too precise? Slender fingers took out her high ponytail and slid through the long, blonde locks. Reaper had deeply rattled her. Why hadn't he gone out to help the other operatives? Why had he singled her out?

"Hey, doctor," came a gruff voice.

Angela whipped her hair up to see Jesse joining her. He sat down beside her and took his hat off, placing it between his legs.

" Are you going to be okay?" he asked, balancing his arms on his knees.

"Yes, McCree...I'll. I'll be fine...just needed air," she mumbled and looked up to the night sky.

" I know this may be a little...soon. But I wanted to inform you what I told Winston. He told me that you guys are lookin' for this Soldier:76..." he said, taking out a cigar. His robotic hand was fumbling about in a pocket for a lighter.

" When I left America, I decided to do some digging passing through D.C. Apparently...the big wigs in D.C. seem to think this Soldier:76 is really Jack Morrison."

Any thought Angela had of Reaper immediately faded. That name struck her somewhere deep in her chest. Angela gave McCree an incredulous look.

"That is impossible," she said, not bothering to hide her disbelief in such a statement.

"Is it? We never found a body. Soldier:76 is also breaking into former Overwatch watchpoints...as if he knows where each and every one of them are. He's the same height and size Jack was. The UN did a good job covering up the fact to the world a body was never found to confirm his death. If it is, Angela...we need to find him...if he isn't already on his way," he said, finally finding his lighter and lighting the cigar.

Angela was shaking from such an idea. Jack could not be alive. Even if they found no body, the amount of rubble that day from the explosion...it was lucky not many were hurt and there were only two fatalities that day.

" That's like saying Gabriel Reyes is alive, McCree...that is hardly possible," she said, looking down to the blades of grass.

" Nothing is impossible...but while we're on the subject about him," he said before taking a long drag of his cigar. " This Reaper...had shotguns? Angela...when you tried saving him, did you ever confirm him dead?"

Angela hated to think about that day. It brought back much pain and it was showing. There was a soft touch on her hand and she looked to see McCree placing his on it.

" I know it's hard to talk about, doctor...but think," he encouraged.

" I..." she took a deep breath and exhaled. "...I got his body in a car. There had been a pulse. He was alive...I rushed to the nearest hospital. I got him in and told the doctors to get me a room immediately. We got him on the bed...I did everything I could to stabilize him. Three times...cardiac arrest. Twice he flatlined before he was brought back. He...he lost so much blood, and...the burns from the explosion...fractures..."

"Doctor, after that..." McCree asked softly.

Angela didn't know why she was sharing this with McCree. Maybe it was because he had been trained by Gabriel himself...McCree deserved to know in some way.

"...I was wrong, McCree. I...I thought using my nanobiology could help stabilize the multiple issues we were fighting to get under control. I've used my staff countless times in battle with everyone and no one has ever suffered any side effects. At first...it seemed to have worked, but then...he fell into coma, and..."

Angela shook her head.

" Over night, he was gone. No sign of a struggle. No sign of him leaving. No one saw him leave. We went to check the cameras only to see that they hadn't been working that day...he was just gone. Like a ghost..."

"...There was no body to confirm he died then," McCree muttered softly. "Angela...Reaper may be him."

Angela looked up sharply and stared. There was anger boiling in her when he said that.

" What kind of sick joke are you trying to make?! Gabriel would never have hurt me, much less try to shoot me!"

McCree fixed her with a long stare as she grew furious. He was expecting her to slap him but she only got up to storm off. McCree got up quick and caught her by the wrist.

"Angela, please. Hear me out...how many people do you know who can wield two shotguns like him? Angela...I stopped Talon agents who were after something on a hypertrain I was on. And their tactics were mighty like what I learned in Blackwatch. What I learned from him. Talon agents were there in Madrid tonight, right? And Reaper works with them? And wields shotguns?...Did he say anything to you that made you think he knew you?"

She was silent as she stared at him. McCree's lips gripped tight to his cigar as he looked down.

"...He did, didn't he?"

"Let me go," she said as tears began to spill down her cheeks. "I'm not going to believe this. They're both dead, McCree. Just accept it like we all have."

McCree took a moment before he sighed, and finally released her. Angela wasted no time in turning her back on him and storming down the path towards the hangar. From all the information he had gathered from America, he was fairly certain about the theory that Soldier:76 was Jack Morrison. There was no evidence that Reaper was Gabriel Reyes, but what had happened tonight and his incident in Houston...he had a hunch he was right. If there was going to be another mission against Talon agents, he wanted to go himself and confront Reaper.


	6. Times Change

Didn't get a chance to post last week but I finally have the 6th chapter ready! The next two chapters are going to have a lot going on in it! And thanks to the latest Overwatch comic, I got some insight into each character! I hope everyone enjoys this chapter! And thanks for all the great reviews!

* * *

Chapter 6  
Times Change

 _The award ceremony...Angela remembered it well. The Omnic Crisis had ended, and the eight of them were awarded medals for their bravery by the IJC. There were many speeches made, giving promises to never let another incident like this happen again. Overwatch had worked hard to contain and quarantine the God programs, as well as stop the army of infected Omnics. Peace was made among country leaders and Omnic leaders, which was celebrated at the ceremony. After all the fancy speeches, and the eight of them standing for photo opportunities on stage with their medals, they were free to mingle and enjoy themselves. It was their night, after all. Tonight was about celebrating the hard work they done to bring about peace and end the onslaught on humanity._

 _Angela had shared a dance with McCree and Jack for a short while before retrieving a glass of champagne. She watched as Lena and Winston tried dancing together, most people giving them a wide berth as they both laughed. Winston was not the most graceful of dancers it turned out, but the two were having a good laugh trying. Reinhardt and Ana were dancing as well. There was a certain grace those two had as they danced. The way they moved, the way they gazed at each other, and how they talked, it was like a scene from a romance novel._

 _" Well, isn't that just the cutest thing you ever seen?" came a deep voice. "...makes me want to puke."_

 _Angela rolled her eyes as she looked over to Gabriel grabbing his own glass of champagne._

 _" Don't be like that. Let them have their moment," Angela said and sipped from her glass._

 _"Oh, I wouldn't dream of ruining it. I think that monkey and glitch will do it for me if they don't watch where they're going on the floor," he retorted before taking a drink from his champagne glass._

 _"Must you be so insulting?" Angela said with a lofted brow. "Tonight's supposed to be a big night for us."_

 _" I prefer the term sarcastic, and yes. It's part of my charm," he retorted before downing his glass and setting it back on the table behind them. " You're right. It is a big night for us. So indulge me in a dance, doc. I promise not to step on your toes like boy scout did."_

 _Angela looked to Gabriel holding his hand out, then to his wide grin. Angela relented with a faint smile and put her slender hand in his. He led her to the floor, feeling his other hand going to her hip. He danced with her to the music the symphony was playing, moving fluidly like water. She would never admit it to him, but it was breathtaking. She never knew someone as brazen as he was, going into battle shotguns blazing, would be able to move so gracefully._

"Doctor?"

Angela blinked. She realized she was in her lab and Jesse McCree was sitting on the examination table. Fingers were still on the projected keyboard, half way through typing up his medical file. That was not like her to daydream during her work. The conversation she had with McCree last night had been so jarring, she barely slept last night in her assigned bed. The little sleep she did get was plagued with nightmares of a black cloaked man with a menacing white mask...

" I apologize, I zoned out for a moment," she mumbled, slender fingers beginning to move swiftly over the keyboard again. She had evaluated his robotic arm and deemed it fit for duty. It was only a matter of finishing up his file before she could dismiss him from her lab and go check on Winston. There was an awkward silence as McCree began to pull his red poncho back on and put his hat back on.

"Look, Angela, I'm sorry about last night...if I upset you. That was not my intention," he said, eager to eliminate the odd tension between them.

Angela looked from the computer screen a moment. Blue eyes studied him. They quickly returned to the screen as she sighed.

"I forgive you, Jesse...just never mention that around me again. I won't be so forgiving next time," she said as she finished up the file.

" So...what were you thinking about a moment ago?" he asked curiously.

"...Nothing to worry about," she said dismissively.

McCree took this as his cue to leave her lab. He tipped her hat to her and left, sensing the growing agitation in her. He had watched her while she evaluated him and could tell she barely slept last night. That was his fault voicing his theories. While she may not think there was a possibility he was right, McCree had a gnawing thought that he was dead on with his theory...and for how right he believed he was, part of him wanted to hope that he was wrong.

Once McCree left, and his medical file was officially saved, Angela went to check on Winston. She walked along the balcony path to where his desk was. He was sitting there eating his favorite treat; peanut butter. There were many windows open on his computer monitors, including a map with glowing dots where Soldier:76 was last spotted, and possible locations he may be heading to next. As Angela took a closer look at the tabs he had opened, she noticed they were newscasts in Egypt. They were speaking of possible sightings of Soldier:76 there.

" Well, we may have a possible spotting for Soldier: 76. Not sure how reliable the news reports are on it, and I don't want to send any of us in for a wild goose chase, especially with Helix security there," he said as he set the peanut butter jar onto his desk.

" In Egypt though? I don't think we ever had a base there...unless he is heading south to the one we had in Chad...though, there is that God program that we had quarantined there. But...I don't see that being a reason for him going there. He hasn't gone to any other locations where God programs have been quarantined," Angela said softly, watching the young lady reporting on the sightings.

" Why don't we talk to Fareeha? I'm sure she has contacts still in Egypt in the military or in Helix Security. We could get a good idea what may be going on that's attracted him to that area...probably something the news won't report on," he said, looking to Angela.

Angela thought it was a good idea. Angela called for Fareeha to report to the research lab. She showed up in a few minutes, in full gear. She had been training with Genji, who, to her great annoyance, was able to dodge her rocket barrages with ease. Fareeha gave a quick salute and looked to the two curiously.

" You called for me?"

"Yes...we are hearing Soldier:76 was reportedly seen in Egypt. We cannot think of a reason he would be attracted to that area...and we wondered if you could make a call to investigate what may be going on. Do you know someone you can trust to give you reliable information?" Angela asked hopefully.

Fareeha stood there, rubbing her chin as she gave it some thought. There were a few from Helix Security she knew had clearance for specific information and also had some connections in the military.

" Let me try a few calls. I'll get to the bottom of it," she said confidentially.

Fareeha phoned a few people and got the information she needed rather easily. There was a lot going on in Egypt after she left. Part of her was disappointed she missing such action. She set the phone down and looked to Winston and Angela who had been listening in.

"So...let me get this right. Some guy named Hakim is being protected by Helix Security against some unknown threat calling themselves Shrike? But...they are getting attacked by someone else?" Angela reiterated to ensure she had the information right.

"Yes...Hakim seems to have something of high importance or value. It's not our job to know what it is, only protect him and the compound he's holed up in. This criminal calling himself Shrike has been around that area a while. Apparently wanted for other crimes. I wonder if that's what is drawing Soldier:76 there. Maybe he knows what the Hakim is hiding," she said with a shrug.

Angela sat down in a nearby chair. They could not send a team into such a volatile situation like that when they were supposed to be off the books. The Madrid incident, while successful, was too close a call. They were almost caught. " We need to get him, Winston. Should we only send two people?" she suggested, looking to Winston. If they couldn't send a team, they could send at least a pair to scout the area and gather information. McCree was rather excellent at that, as was Tracer.

"...We could. It's a risk. They cannot under any circumstances get dragged into the situation going on there. They are to strictly observe and report back. That's the safest way, I think," Winston muttered. He would talk to whoever Angela suggested to make sure that order was understood. If they were to operate off the books, they needed to be very careful how they conducted themselves.

" I will stay in touch with my contact while you send out whoever you want and rely any updates to you," Fareeha stated.

"Sounds good...well, let's send two in immediately," Angela said and called for Lena and McCree. If they could track down Soldier:76 and convince him to join them, it would be one of their goals achieved. There was also a selfish curiosity that she wanted to sate. She wanted to see whether or not McCree was right.

* * *

The mission ended up being a failure.

Reaper was very quiet on the transport ship back to base. None of the Talon agents aboard dared to talk to him...not that anyone dared to initiate conversation with the man willingly to begin with. They saw how he was in the field. They saw what he would leave behind in his wake. He was death incarnate. He was the Reaper...and for the first time, they seen him leave his targets alive.

Reaper didn't care much for the men and women aboard the transport with him. He left them in the main hold of the ship and went to a smaller room that served as a medic room. He sat into one of the built in seats, and contemplated what he saw. Ana was alive. While he always believed Jack had been alive, he never thought that Ana would be. They had all thought for sure she died with her team when they were fighting against Talon and Widowmaker shot Ana through her own scope. That didn't appear to be so.

Now the two were reacquainted. Sharp, silver talons tapped against the neighboring seat as he seethed under his mask. He almost had Jack...he almost had his revenge. _If that bitch hadn't interfered, I would have had it. I would have had his goddamn head!_ Reaper slammed his clenched fist into the seat now, denting the metal under the thin cushion. If there was anything better than exacting his revenge on the woman who made him this way, it would be seeing Jack's lifeless body at his feet.

Reaper tilted his head back as he let memories flood his head. It was rare when he did, but at times, he would steep in them to serve as a reminder why he joined Talon. Why he wanted to hunt every Overwatch agent down. Why he wanted them all dead. The only way to completely shut the book on Overwatch and its history was to make sure everyone who ever served in it was dead. While most of these memories he reminisced about normally involved each incident that drove the wedge further between him and Jack, this particular one involved a certain doctor.

 _It hurts. Everything fucking hurts! Where the HELL am I? Wait...Angela. Angela, what are you doing?_

He never could mistake that sweet smelling perfume, that accent as she spoke. That warm touch of her hands.

 _He's going into cardiac arrest! Scheiß! Paddles! Damn it, Gabe...don't give up on me now! Don't..._

He couldn't move then. He couldn't open his eyes. He was aware of everything around him...but he couldn't wake up from whatever paralysis that had overcome him to warn them that he was conscious. That he could feel pain.

 _ANGELA! FUCKING STOP!_

He remembered the electrical jolts that ran through his chest.

 _Gabriel, wake up...please!_

He remembered her pleas and tears as well.

 _I AM! Check my other vitals! My brain waves! Something! I...it hurts so DAMN MUCH! Just let me fucking die! Stop it!_

If only he could have been conscious enough to voice his thoughts, they could have known he was conscious. He remembered falling unconscious after pleading for death. Just darkness enveloped him. Then...

 _What the...God the pain in my chest! Why am...I was just! I was just dead...! Take your goddamn hands off me, Angela! I can't come back...! Just say goodbye!_

He remembered hearing that he had flat-lined a few times ...but Angela Ziegler just would not give up. He heard the talk about her using that nanobiology of hers, wondering if application of it while trying to resuscitate him would help. If it would be too dangerous with the way he kept giving out and as unstable as he was whenever they managed to bring back his heartbeat. They talked about the loss of blood, how there was so little...

 _Don't you do it, Angela...don't! I feel it...I'm going to pass out again...I'm going to die again!...The pain is too much, I want to scream! Why can't I fucking even move a finger?! Just end my suffering! Just stop...I'm..._

Blackness again, he reminded himself, his head leaning back against the cold wall. How many deaths had he gone through before she would use that dreaded biotic healing on him? There was talk if she had ever used it during critical moments like this when a patient was so close to death...but Angela was not listening to the others in the room trying to help her save him. She was reckless.

 _I'll take the chance! I can't lose him! He still has a heartbeat, there's a chance! Nothing else so far has worked in stabilizing him!_

Reaper growled as he closed his eyes. He had really liked her before that. The torture of dying and coming back repeatedly was more draining than the pain from his broken bones and burns. It was never ending. First falling into an almost pleasant blackness as his heart and breathing would slow, like going to sleep...to be shocked back into pain, not able to breathe air into his lungs that felt shredded. The stress of the pain was maddening.

"Reaper...we're preparing for landing," came a sudden voice.

Reaper's head snapped up to stare at the small man in the doorway. The silent glare was enough to make the man slink away without another word. Reaper got up and made his way into the main room to strap in for the landing. He dismissed the memories for now, and focused on what he was going to tell Talon's commander about the mission. It did seem their only success was Widowmaker's assassination of Mondatta.

Reaper made his way into the base. Their commander more than likely knew about the failed mission. It didn't matter to him. He was a mercenary, not a true Talon agent. He did operate on his own accord at times, which he was entitled to. If the commander was angry, he could just walk away and operate on his own. The only reason he stuck around was Talon was a valuable source of information in tracking down those he wanted to find. It wouldn't be impossible on his own, but infinitely more time consuming.

Reaper took an elevator up to a polished hallway with soft carpet and paintings hanging on the wall. He came to a heavy wooden door and pushed the doors open, entering unannounced. Their commander was sitting in a chair behind a dark wooded desk, staring at Reaper as he entered.

" Why Reaper, come on in," the commander said sarcastically. He was an older man with peppered hair and closely trimmed beard. Reaper was silent and observing, waiting for the man to launch into a tirade about the failed mission.

" Reaper, this last mission failed...I understand an unknown variable had come into play in that mission, but you should have been able to handle it. Even that Shrike criminal," he said, tapping his fingers on the armrest. "However...I am going to put Widowmaker on the team, and have her go back with Sombra to attempt to retrieve what Hakim has. I need you for something else."

"And what is that?" Reaper asked in a deep, condescending tone.

"Remember how we talked about your preoccupation with Miss Angela Ziegler on your last mission? I was giving some thought to what you said about her," he said, sitting forward now with his hands folded on his ornate desk.

" I also did my own research into her background. She is a surgeon. A well known doctor. Made breakthroughs in the field of nanobiology that resulted in improved the treatment of illnesses and diseases. There's no doubt I would like someone like her here to help you lot when you come back injured...but...I have better ideas."

Reaper wondered exactly what their commander wanted. Reaper knew Angela Ziegler well. She was stubborn and hard headed when it came to saving lives. Leaving anyone behind was an unfathomable idea to her.

"Oh?" he said simply, slightly curious now what the commander wanted.

" I'm sure...if she is so well versed in nanobiology and its many applications and uses, she surely can develop ways to kill rapidly with it. Think of the weapons we could develop if we had technology that not just blew holes into you, but attacked you on a molecular level, broke you down from the inside on a much larger scale than gunfire and chemical weapons. If it has the capacity to radically improve treatment for ailments, it surely has the capacity to do the opposite as well," he explained, eyeing Reaper.

"Also, I was informed about her ability to use it to boost the damage someone can do, so one can't say it is an impossible idea to make weapons from her discoveries. There's so many possibilities to be had having an expert in that field like her."

"...You want me to kidnap her then," Reaper said softly.

"Yes. Infiltrate the base, nab her, and bring her back. If she does not comply, we have ways of making her comply," he stated matter-of-factly.

Reaper thought of Widowmaker immediately. He frowned. He wanted to be the one to end her...if she was stripped of emotion and brainwashed, killing her in the end would seem rather unsatisfactory if not downright dull.

"...Understood," he said suddenly and left the room. He would take some time to plan the kidnapping. He knew the base very well, having spent time on it before. It was the matter of attacking at a moment when the others would be caught unaware and would not be able to stop him.


	7. Old Soldiers

Another chapter! Worked hard on this one. I do mention Pharah's father in this one, and while we still aren't sure if in the Tracer comic the man she is having dinner with is her father, I'm going to write as if he is, until further notice. Things are really going to get exciting after this chapter! And thank you to everyone who leaves me reviews and follows my story! They really make me excited! Now, enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 7  
Old Soldiers

Egypt reminded McCree of the Arizona desert quite a lot. It was dry, lots of sand and sparse vegetation. All it needed was some cactus and he would have felt right at home. The day was getting late, and McCree knew he had to focus on his mission.  
He was sent with Tracer and Pharah to track down Soldier: 76. Tracer had pushed the ship to its limits to make it to Egypt quickly. Pharah had obtained the coordinates and the ship was parked in the outskirts of the town. All three dressed to blend in. Tracer and Pharah opted for cloaks and shawls of tan and brown material. McCree had changed into some more muted colors like them to blend in, and even parted with his favorite hat, feeling it would be too much of an anomaly among the civilian crowd. They followed Pharah, who knew Egypt much better than they ever would.

The trio made it into town and saw the wanted posters for the criminal known as the Shrike. There was commotion too and lots of excited chattering among the residents.

"We're near the Temple of Anubis...seems something big has happened," Pharah said and pointed down a crowded market street. " The coordinates for the compound we're looking for is this way."

They made their way through the crowded market street. Most didn't seem concerned about purchases at that very moment. In the distance, there were wisps of smoke. The residents were gossiping about what was going on at the compound, some having gone to witness it and bring news to their friends.  
The three got closer and saw they were coming into the aftermath. There were still dead bodies at the front gates of the compound. They stayed out of the area though, standing among other onlookers that were making a ring around the area. They were not Helix security agents from what Pharah could assess of the clothing they wore. Police and other emergency personnel were arriving on the scene by now, and asking the onlookers to back away from the scene. McCree took a last look at the bodies, before walking away with the other two. The Shrike seemed to be a criminal that operated on their own. So who were these people?

"Hey, Pharah...do you know if your people said the Shrike had followers?" he asked as they walked back down the market street.

"Not to my knowledge. Maybe Shrike was staking this place out himself, but...I don't think he would work with a large, militarized group like that," Pharah said as she looked around, trying to keep an ear out for snippets from the loud chatter around them.

McCree had his suspicions this was a Talon attack, and whoever Shrike was, was being blamed for it. It was an excellent cover to hide under by blaming another known criminal in the area. Something he would have done. He had to wonder what Hakim was hiding in that compound to attract that much attention.

" Well...that situation isn't our objective, so we'll let the local authorities handle it. We still need to figure out if this Soldier: 76 is in the area," he said as he watched some kids run in front of them, playing with an old soccer ball.

" He may have been involved in that situation though. We need to ask around," Tracer said, taking a look back to all the flashing lights and crowd still gathered near the compound.

The trio asked around in the markets but none seemed to have noticed if a white haired man in a blue jacket had been involved. All they could recount was the gunfire and increasing amount of black clad agents showing up trying to breach the compound. Pharah ran into another dead end with an elderly woman selling fruit and was about to walk away. There was a tugging on her cloak and she turned to see the same kids they saw earlier playing with the ball.

"You looking for a guy with white hair, right? Did he wear weird goggles?" the small boy asked.

Pharah knelt down and nodded. "I am. Did you see him?"

The kid nodded. His friends were all chattering too, telling them they saw the man walking away with someone else to the far outskirts. Pharah called for McCree and Tracer to group up with her. They had spread out to try and find out information quicker.  
The three let the kids lead them out of the congested streets of the town. There were few buildings in the outskirts, and much wider, barren streets. The kids stopped by a crossroad and pointed to an old building in the distance. It was a few stories tall and appeared to be in disrepair.

" Ali said they went into there after all the fighting at the compound," the little kid said, and looked up to Pharah.

The smaller child with wild, black hair nodded quickly. " Yeah! He was fighting some guy in all black. He looked creepy."

McCree's eyes widened a little and he looked around the area. There was reason to be on edge.

"That right, kid? Where'd that weird guy in black go?"

"Dunno, he just poofed in smoke. Like a ninja or something," he said and shrugged.

"...And how did you see that behind the compound's walls?" McCree asked, tilting his head.

Ali turned around and pointed back at the town. There were a few buildings that were stories high.

"We climbed up to the roofs to look down and see what was going on. The one on the left looks over the compound," Ali explained.

 _Kids these days. That would have been a good vantage point if they had had a sniper. Kid's lucky to be alive_ , McCree thought.

"Thanks, kid. Here, take this."

McCree dug around in his pocket and pulled out a decent sum of American money. Fifty dollars was handed over to the children for helping lead them to their targets. All their eyes lit up at the amount of money, and they rushed off, shouting about all the candy and toys they wanted to buy. The fact they mentioned a man in all black who could disappear like smoke confirmed his suspicions Talon was involved.

"...Talon's behind this. We gotta be careful. Reaper may still be around, biding his time to get another crack at that compound," he said and turned to Tracer and Pharah. The three made their way to the building the kids pointed out. They stopped and hid behind a small business building.

"Ok this is how it's gonna go," McCree said, taking a look around the corner at the place. " Tracer, go in and see if you can see them inside. Also, note any windows or doorways on the first floor we can cover. Got it?"

Tracer grinned and saluted him. Then, in a blue flash, she was gone.

Tracer ended up by a window and peeked inside. She ducked down quick when she saw the backs of their two queries. She walked the perimeter of the building, noting there was a back entrance and windows there. She came back to the same window. the glass had a spiderweb of cracks going through it, and in some spots, the glass had fallen away. Tracer cautiously stood and put her ear to one of these holes to hear what they were saying.

"...We ought to head to Russia and gather more intel. We can't trust everything these media outlets are reporting on this new Omnic Crisis. They say it's just a continuation from the first one...that would imply another God program is in effect at their Omnium," Soldier: 76 said as he sat down with Shrike.

" If it is, they aren't reporting it. Russian media is saying it's simply an uprising due to Omnics not having any rights in their country. Similar to what happened in King's Row after the first Crisis, but on a much bigger scale," Shrike said in a womanly voice.

"Didn't they report their Omniums as suddenly operational?" Soldier: 76 asked as he turned to look at Shrike.

"Yes...doesn't mean it is a God program. Omnics could have broke into it and restarted everything to build more battle ready Omnics to help them," she explained.

"...This is why we ought to go there and find out what's really going on. There's a lot more to it. Every country I been to has been reluctant to address the issue. They think Russia can handle it by themselves, like last time. Can't guarantee Omnics in other countries may get the same idea...or if there is an active God program, that it won't spread to other Omniums in other countries," Soldier: 76 said with a sigh.

" There's more corruption in the world too since Overwatch's fall. There's another Omnic Crisis, and there are greedy companies and gangs everywhere preying on their fellow citizens. Did you hear about what happened in a favela in Brazil? My intel says it was done on purpose by the Vishkar Corporation...so they could make a contract..." he said angrily. " There's so much we should be stopping."

"The world doesn't want another Overwatch...it is why they are reluctant. To find a force to help with the war, and stamp out corruption would be another Overwatch. And people are still disappointed with what happened with the first one," Shrike said matter of factly.

Tracer had heard enough. She was gone in the blink of an eye and appearing right beside McCree. Mccree had jumped when she spoke up, cursing under his breath. No matter how long they known each other or on occasion, worked together, he never could get used to her appearing out of nowhere.

"So, what did you see and hear?" he asked.

Tracer explained everything she heard and what she saw. McCree was slightly surprised. The two didn't seem to be a threat to the good of the world; they were a threat to the corruption in it.

"Right then...Pharah, you take the back entrance. Tracer, you stand by either on the roof or side of the building," McCree said as he began to check his pistol.

"And what about you?" Pharah asked with an arched brow.

"Me? I'm goin' to knock on the front door," he said with a grin.

Both of the women stared at him.

"You're crazy," Pharah said flatly.

" Call it what you want, I got a plan. Sounds like they aren't much of a threat to the likes of us. So there's that. But just in case it gets hostile, code phrase is ' reach for the sky'," he said and holstered the loaded pistol. "Or any amount of shouting and gunfire."

Pharah snorted at the phrase but said nothing about it.

Tracer and Pharah sneaked over to the building and took their points. They communicated to McCree they were in position. McCree rolled his shoulders and made his way down the street. He was not concerned about walking up and knocking on the old door of the building. If Soldier: 76 was really Jack, which he was becoming more and more convinced of, McCree didn't fear retaliation from encountering them. He was more worried whether or not they were being watched and leading Talon to them.

McCree gave the weathered door a few, loud knocks. Silence. There was another round of knocks. What happened next was so quick, even McCree was taken off guard.

The door was yanked open and before McCree could step back, a strong fist had grabbed the front of his clothing and pulled him in. There was enough strength behind the pull it nearly took McCree off his feet. The next second, the door was slammed shut, and McCree found himself pinned against it. He looked into the glowing red of the visor Soldier: 76 wore, who had his face mere inches from his.

"...Hell do you want?" came a gruff voice.

McCree recognized the voice. It sounded older, more worn, but the accent, the notes of it were the same.

" To recruit you," he said simply. " Been hearing about you in the news, and we could use someone like you."

Soldier: 76 lowered McCree to his feet, the fist wound into the clothing beginning to slacken.

"Recruit? For what?" the older man asked suspiciously.

"...Overwatch has been recalled. And we need heroes. So this is me representin' them, and coming to you to ask for your guidance..." McCree said, trailing off. "...Commander."

Soldier: 76 let McCree go quickly, as if his hand had been burned. Shrike was standing up and approaching slowly, staring at McCree as well. McCree now got a look at Shrike's face. It was older, and there were more lines...but there was a familiar tattoo under the one good eye the woman had that gave her identity away.

"...You got to be kidding me," he said in mild shock. Everyone had once thought she was dead.

" How the hell did they drag you out of the desert, McCree?" Jack asked.

" Well, Talon attacked a hypertrain and were fixing to put the blame on me. Had heard about the museum incident, and figured I'd leave the States and find out exactly what Winston and Tracer were up to," he said with a shrug. "I also got that recall, but didn't immediately respond. Had to think about it before I decided to."

"How the hell did you get a recall? You left before Overwatch fell," Jack asked.

" Well, way I see it, Overwatch and Blackwatch never deleted files on current and former operatives. And I kept my old communication device as a sort of memento," he said with a chuckle. "I'm sure the recall went out to anyone who had served, I'm guessin'. But enough about me, you two have explaining to do. Starting with how both of you are still alive."

McCree's expression was stoic. Jack Morrison and Ana Amari were supposed to be dead. Yet, both of them stood before him.

" I'd like to hear an explanation, and I don't like to be kept waiting," McCree said softly.

" I won't have you talking to me like that, McCree!You don't give orders to me!" Jack said suddenly out of agitation.

" Now, now. Don't get too angry. This building is surrounded," McCree said with a sly smile. His fingers were moving toward his gun.

" Surrounded? By who?" Jack scoffed.

" Reach for the sky, and you'll find out," he said clearly.

Jack was about to say something. There was a loud banging at the back door. The window behind them was shattered and an odd light streaked across the room. Jack turned to see another woman with darker skin coming in. There was a glint of metal armor under the cloak and shawl she wore. When Jack turned back around, Tracer was standing next to McCree.

"Hn."

Ana had turned to see Pharah standing there. McCree didn't have to reveal who Shrike was; Pharah recognized the face behind its new wrinkles and eyepatch. Ana wore an expression of surprise as well; she was not expecting to come face to face with her daughter. The last she knew about her daughter, she was still serving in Helix security here in Egypt.

"Mother?" she whispered in disbelief.

Ana nodded solemnly. " Fareeha...you've grown so much."

McCree saw the rage building in Pharah's features. The way her eye ticked, the frown lines contorting as her lips twitched.

"You're supposed to be dead! Why...how..." Pharah stuttered, then growled. " how are you still ALIVE!? Did you...you ABANDONED me?!"

The other three sensed danger. Tracer darted over to Pharah, taking hold of her wrist.

"Calm down, love! We don't know who's hearing outside!" she reminded Pharah.

McCree took a glance to the windows when Tracer said that. Talon operatives could still be around and he didn't want to get bunkered down in the derelict building.

" If you two are willing, come with us. We can sort things out later," he said sharply.

Pharah simmered down but she refused to acknowledge her mother. Pharah stormed out with Tracer following behind. Ana seemed remorseful about what Pharah said and remained silent as the rest of them left to get to the ship.

* * *

It was no better once they boarded. In fact, the situation exploded once they were airborne. Pharah was demanding Ana why she pretended to be dead for so long, and left the others to help raise her and find her father. She essentially abandoned her team and her own daughter. Ana tried to make a rebuttal each time but was cut off, Pharah claiming there was no excuse for her to not have found a way back. McCree had wanted to talk to Jack about his own disappearance, but for now, both men were keeping an eye on the women. The last thing they needed was for both of them to come to blows while they were thousands of feet in the air above the Mediterranian Sea.

The few hours it took to get back to Gibraltar were the most tense situation McCree ever experienced. Jack had finally had enough of the mother and daughter feud, and demanded they stop. No amount of pleading for Pharah to understand why Ana did what she did was working. Jack told Pharah to go sit down and calm down; there was plenty of time to discuss what happened when emotions weren't so raw.

Tracer landed the ship carefully in front of the research lab. Night had fallen during their trip, and only a faint glow of red and pink rested on the horizon. Winston and Angela were waiting on the top steps. Pharah was the first off once the door lowered, and she didn't appear happy. She was striding off down the path towards the hangar without a word. Angela saw Soldier: 76 coming off the ship. It meant that the mission was successful...but she did not recognize the second person with him. Tracer and McCree was following up behind. Soldier: 76 seemed to pause at the bottom step once he saw the blonde doctor.

McCree had brushed past and came to Angela's side. Angela looked up to him. There was a weary, almost apologizing gaze in his dark eyes. He leaned in to her ear.

" It's Jack Morrison, doctor..." he said and looked to Winston, who had heard what he said. Both of them looked down to the white haired man walking up the steps.

"And ...and the other?" Angela choked out, her throat feeling suddenly dry.

"...Miss Ana Amari," McCree said and looked to the two.

Jack and Ana stood before the three. Tracer was behind them, and could see the rapid change of emotions fleeting through Angela's features.

"Is...is it true?...You're Jack Morrison?" Angela asked as she took a step closer.

Jack looked down at her. He couldn't help but notice how after all these years, she didn't seem to change.

"Yes. It's me, Dr. Ziegler," he said softly.

There was silence for a moment. McCree could feel the boiling anger radiating off Angela...but no one else seemed to sense it. It was quick than his eyes could process. There was a flash of movement and Angela had pulled Jack's red visor off. Her other hand had flown up quick and with all her strength, had slapped him hard across the face. There was such force behind it, Jack stumbled back and nearly fell down the steps behind him. Ana had caught him in time.

" How COULD you?! How could you let EVERYONE think you were DEAD?! And you!" Angela shouted and turned on Ana.

Winston had lunged out and grabbed Angela's arm, holding her back from charging at Ana. No one was expecting Angela to lose her composure.

"I searched the rubble endlessly for you, Jack! I looked EVERYWHERE! And all this time I was to believe that I failed to find you and save you!"

"Angela!" Winston shouted and pulled her back. "Angela, calm down! It's not your fault, you tried! Come on, you're better than this," Winston said as he held her back. She was still fighting him to have a go at the two.

Angela frowned as she finally gave in and stood there, glaring at the two.

"Let me go," she growled and ripped her wrist from Winston's hold. She fixed her lab coat as she glared at the two. "I have nothing to say to either of you."

Angela turned on her heel and headed into the research lab and up the stairs to her own. The five watched her go.

"I'm...I'm going to go and get the ship to the hangar," Tracer said sadly and headed back to the ship.

Winston gave a heavy sigh and looked down.

"Well. I would say it is nice to see you two again, if it were under different circumstances. I'm...surprised you both are alive," he said solemnly. " But you two have a lot of explaining to do."

"We know. McCree said the same thing," Jack said with an irritated tone.

McCree shook his head and looked to the three. "I'm going to go to the quarters soon...round everyone up. We'll all meet in the meeting room under the launch pad in about an hour. So...think about what you two will be fixing to say to the rest."

"The rest?" Ana said curiously.

"Yeah. Reinhardt's here, so is Genji and Torbjörn," McCree said as he put his favorite hat back on. "One hour."

Winston said he would be there and headed back in to see if Angela was okay. McCree stood with Jack and Ana for a moment.

"...There's something else I want to address," he said and turned to Jack.

" What's that?" Jack said.

" We found you because some local kids saw you two leaving that compound to that building. There was something else they said too that piqued my interest. That was Talon trying to get into that compound. I drew that conclusion because they said they saw a shadowy, black cloaked man there that you fought, Jack," McCree explained then paused.

" Reaper works for Talon. I know this because of a mission the others were on in Spain. They stopped Talon agents...and Reaper was with them. That Talon attack on the hypertrain I told you about, their tactics were very similar if not the same as Blackwatch's..." he explained further. Dark eyes then stared right into that red visor Jack had put back on his face.

"Reaper is Reyes. Isn't he?"

The two didn't say anything. McCree noted Ana had looked down and was distressed.

"It is...I saw his face, McCree. He...he is not..." she said hoarsely. "He's not the Reyes we used to know. I don't know what he is anymore."

McCree dug around for a metal tin in his pocket. He took a cigar out of it then lit it with a lighter. He stayed silent as he tried to let his mind process what Ana said. It was fine to theorize Reaper was Gabriel Reyes. It was perfectly acceptable to ponder the connections. That was only tolerable because there was no concrete proof of it for it to be fact. Now that it was fact, McCree felt a heaviness he could not quite explain.

"...We do not tell Dr. Ziegler. No matter what. She will not be able to handle that information," he said suddenly.

" Understood. So...what happened in Spain with Reaper?" Jack asked, curious what the group had been up to.

McCree took a long drag from his cigar and exhaled slowly.

"He tried to kill her."

* * *

McCree had gone to inform the others to meet in the meeting room. Within the hour, everyone had shown up. Jack and Ana stood at the head of the table while everyone settled into their seats. There were some curious faces from the rumors they heard, and some stony faces as well. McCree was leaning back in his seat with his feet on the table. Jack wanted to say something but refrained for now. It was more important to have everyone understand why he never came back to them.

Jack began to explain his story. He had survived and got away. While there was no body and the UN was suspicious about his survival, they ended up declaring him dead to the world anyway. Jack went under the radar as Overwatch was officially disbanded under the Petras Act. He knew coming back and announcing his survival meant he would be arrested for what happened in headquarters. Jack couldn't do that. There was more to do, a war to still fight, and it would do no good turning himself in when everyone he had trusted turned their backs on him. He had planned on coming to Gibraltar one point, but the tip he received about Ana took priority and was why he chose to head to Egypt first.

Ana read her reasons from an old letter she wrote. She had meant to send the letter to Fareeha one day, but never did and kept it close to herself. The frigid attitude Fareeha had over the situation softened slightly when her mother read it out loud.

The others seemed to overcome their shock and anger to welcome Jack and Ana back. Reinhardt had gotten up to go hug Ana tightly and not let her go. The only ones who seemed upset still were Angela and Fareeha. Angela had given a curt good night to them and left without another word. Fareeha was still angry, still believing that her mother had abandoned her. She headed to the practice range, wanting to take some of the pent up energy out of her.  
Winston talked to Jack, wanting him and Ana to lead the team once more. Jack seemed reluctant but agreed at Winston's insistence.

The night grew later and one by one they all got to bed in the crew quarters. Winston slept in his lab, working late into the night on some projects. The beds in the crew quarters didn't exactly support his size anyway. Finally around two in the morning, the lights went out in the research lab. The sleeping occupants of the base had no way of foreseeing the coming chaotic hour that was about to take place.

High atop the communication tower overlooking the research lab stood a black cloaked figure with a white mask. Reaper had been biding his time until everyone on the island would have gone to sleep. Winston's labs were the last to have its lights go out.

"Sombra. Are you in position?" he asked.

"Of course I am. In the server room," she said as she looked at her bright nails.

"Good. Did you find the back up generators for the base?" he asked next.

"Yup," she said with a hint of exasperation.

"And is it disconnected?" he said and looked in the direction where the server room would be.

"Yes. All of them are," she said and rolled her eyes now. Did he really not trust her to do as instructed?

"Good. Cut the main power now. I'm going in."

The lights atop the tower and the varying buildings suddenly went out, and on the dark horizon, two armed transport ships were making their way to the island.


	8. No More Mercy

Meant to get a chapter done by last weekend but couldn't! But I finally finished it and hope everyone likes it! And to those who leave reviews, again, I can't thank you enough! I am glad people are enjoying this story!

* * *

Chapter 8  
No More Mercy

The pale moonlight was the only source of light on Gibraltar. It was silent with the exception of the dull sound of waves crashing against the cliffs of the island. Sombra was waiting in the shadows of the server room when Reaper was floating past and heading towards the hangar. As much as she pretended that Reaper never bothered her, deep down he gave her chills. It was not like she never killed anyone before. She had seen people killed. People tortured. That was nothing new. It was how he did it. The way he could use shadows to appear anywhere...and the way he seemed to be able to drain the biological sustenance from a human in their death.  
In truth, she was not even supposed to be accompanying him on this mission. She was supposed to be going to Egypt to help Widowmaker, but just as she was about to head out, Reaper caught her and informed her there was a change of plans and she'd be coming with him to Gibraltar. There was more of a crucial need for her there with her many talents. While she had a feeling he lied, she decided to come anyway. It gave her a chance to perhaps get into some of Overwatch's old files in their research lab.

 _Speaking of_ , she thought, _I need to head there now. Omega team should be there to take care of that ape._  
Sombra rushed to the research labs where Omega team was taking care of Winston and were managing to get him under control due to the lack of power to the base. Sombra had thought this plan ingenious to be honest. Cutting the power to the main power grid and the back up generators, as well as her hacking abilities to ensure nothing booted up, the team was left in the dark and unaware of the prepared teams coming to infiltrate the base. _And Alpha team should be heading in now...yup! That's their ship._

The second ship was hovering at the cliff as it unloaded a handful of operatives in gear and outfitted with night vision goggles. They all headed down the path to the hangar to back up Reaper. Sombra smirked as she headed upstairs to where Winston's labs were. There was work to be done.

Reaper was waiting just outside the hangar when Alpha team showed up. Reaper had been stationed at this watchpoint a few times and knew the base intimately. He informed Alpha team of the crew quarter location, and the two entries to it. He informed them he would be entering the right one to see if he could get eyes on their target while he wanted the team of twelve to keep eyes on the left side, which was near the beds, and thus the more likely way the team would come out. Reaper informed the team to pry the doors open; given the power was out, they could be manually opened with enough force. The team managed to pry the door open and infiltrated the hangar. Reaper drifted towards an old engine still in repair and crates, heading to the right side doorway. Slowly, he made his way down the steps, and peeked around the corner.

There were flashes of bright lights. The team was waking up to the power outage and using phones to give themselves light and look around. There was confusion as they spoke. Power outages were not common on a base that had back up generators and other fail safes to ensure the protection of the base and its systems. Even in the event the power went out, emergency lights should have kicked in. Instead, they were in complete darkness and forced to rely on their phones for light. Jack was the first one to express his suspicions something was wrong.

"Get dressed quick and get your weapons ready," Jack said gruffly. Most of them didn't need to be told. Most were gearing up and those who had their weapons with them were checking them. Some had to make do with what was available. Reinhardt had his hammer, but not his armor, and Fareeha didn't keep her suit in the crew quarters. Others like McCree, Jack and Lena had their weapons under their bed and ready to go. Even Angela had her blaster and was checking it to make sure it was fully loaded.

"Okay, team...we're trapped in a hole here. We need to get out...something is up and I am going to assume the moment we step outside, we're going to get shot at. I want one team heading out the right side, another with me on the left. Ana, take Torbjörn, Fareeha and Angela to the right. Reinhardt, Lena, McCree, Genji, you're with me..." Jack said as he loaded his pulse gun. The team didn't appear to argue and were heading to their respective points. Reaper had a mental visual of the plan Jack just laid out and backed out. He looked up once he was out of the stairwell and saw the catwalk above him. He quickly teleported there and crouched, waiting. Their target would be coming out that door below him in moments.

"Do you have the equipment boarded on the ship?" he asked suddenly, communicating to the one in charge of Omega team. There was crackling in his ear from the little ear bug. The Omega leader had confirmed they were loading the equipment as they spoke, and would be in place in two minutes. Reaper felt that was just enough time. Those few minutes were going to be needed to ensure the team was distracted while he cut off their target from them.

As Alpha team took up their positions, Reaper waited. Moments later, he heard gunfire as Jack came out with his team on the other side. The gunfire was returned by the Alpha team. He stayed crouched low as he looked down to see the second team come out, led by Ana. Torbjörn was attempting to set up a turret near the corner of a crate facing the Alpha team. Ana was sharpshooting some of the operatives. Then he saw her.  
The ponytail of blonde hair was bobbing about as Angela fired upon the Alpha team as well but behind the safety of her team. None of them cared to look up and check the catwalk above them. Reaper frowned as he knew time was ticking away. He waited for the opportune moment. While she hung back behind the others, and they were too focused on Alpha team firing on them, Reaper dropped down silently in a whirl of shadowy smoke. He solidified behind her and grabbed her quickly. A metal taloned hand went over her mouth and the other tore her blaster from her hand. Hooking his arm around her shoulder, he lower half turned to the dark, shadow like smoke once more and he glided backwards with her. The others didn't seem to hear or see what happened, too focused on the Alpha team who were serving no more than as a distraction.  
Angela struggled in Reaper's cold, tight hold as he dragged he away and towards the other end of the hangar, towards the storage rooms. She kicked and fought, trying to bite at his hand. None of them seemed to be aware of the trouble she was in. It was for only a second but she managed to rip her face from his hand's grasp and scream for them.

"HELP ME!" she screamed as loud as her lungs would allow her. Jack and McCree were coming around the corner and running full speed, trying to get to her. By that time, Reaper was already dragging her out the back door and to a waiting transport ship. A rope was dropped down from the ship and Reaper grabbed it. McCree was trying to shoot at the ship and rope, wanting to prevent them from getting away.

Reaper has stored away Angela's own gun within his coat, and as he backed up towards where the rope hung, he took out one of his own guns and shot at the others. Angela fought Reaper, but his arm's tight hold now around her waist was nearly suffocating. The shotgun was deafening as he shot at Jack and McCree who dove and ducked behind the wall. He threw the gun over the side of the cliff and grabbed the rope dangling overhead.

The ship began to lift and take off, the rope being reeled into the hold. Angela watched in horror as she was lifted off the ground and began to fly over the water. She reached for Jack and McCree who had come back out to fight only to see that the ship was over the water and flying off. She screamed for them. Further and further they flew out until she could barely seem them anymore. Soon enough, she was reeled into the ship with Reaper and ended up on the floor of its hull. She scrambled to get out of Reaper's grasp, but he soon caught her wrist and tugged her forward. Large, strong hands took hold of her arms and held her still.

"Fight me...and you'll be thrown out into the water and left to die," he growled at her. He quickly spun her around and handcuffed her, before shoving her into a seat and locking her into it with an overhead bar.

"Now do me a favor and be quiet," he said before strapping himself into a seat opposite of her.

* * *

Communication was radioed to the Alpha Team leader. Word was Omega team had extracted Reaper and the target. The mission successful, the Alpha team leader called for a retreat. The operatives began to fall back and head to their waiting ship near the radar array. The others gave chase to them, but by time they got there, the operatives were already being reeled up into the ship as it was flying away. Ana and Lena fired at the ship which did nothing to stop it as it began to disappear on the dark horizon. Everyone else was catching up and watched as the ship flew off.

"I'll get in our ship and follow! We have to go after them!" Lena shouted as she turned to head back to the hangar. Jack caught her upper arm and shook his head.

"Bad idea. We can't follow them," Jack said gruffly before letting her arm go. " Besides, that's the not the ship I want to go after."

Ana gave Jack a confused look. Jack grimaced behind his visor at that look.

"Where's Angela?" Lena suddenly asked.

"...Reaper has her," Jack said with a hint of weariness to his tone.

Silence came over the others. Besides McCree, none of them had been aware Reaper flanked them and managed to grab Angela without most of them knowing.

"No. She was right behind me...she shouted for help, and I was trying to cover her! That's what I thought she meant when she shouted for help. She...how?" Fareeha growled.

Jack shouldered his gun.

" I saw it out of the corner of my eye...everyone else was so focused on the operatives. McCree and I fell back behind the crates near you. I noticed Angela was moving in an unnaturally fast and odd manner...then I saw a glimpse of the white mask," he said and began walking toward the research lab. "We need to see if Winston's okay. Let's go."

The team found their way into the labs by using the phones' lights again. They found Winston tied down. Ana went to cut him out of the ropes and netting and check him over to make sure he was okay. Winston explained that the operatives came in and subdued him, then gone upstairs to Angela's medical lab. They took her Valkyrie suit which was in there, and even her staff. There was other equipment taken too that he didn't readily recognize. Jack shook his head.

"They took Angela too, Winston. Reaper got her," Jack muttered as he sat down on an old box.

Winston got angry. Talon had hit them quite quick. By taking Angela's equipment and Angela herself, Winston could only conclude that Talon wanted her to do something for them. "Let's find her and quick. Who knows what they will do to her."

Ana appeared sorrowful. She gripped her sniper and stared at the shiny barrel of it.

"...Perhaps what they had done to Amelie," she said quietly to herself.

* * *

Angela sat there quietly in the seat and stared at Reaper. The man was looking down at the floor of the ship. Thoughts went through her head about what McCree said. Could Reaper really be Gabriel? Angela clenched her teeth and looked away. No. She would refuse to believe such nonsense. _Ah, but McCree had been right about Soldier: 76 being Jack. Maybe he could be right about Reaper,_ her conscience argued. Angela was dead set on believing Reaper was anyone else. After all, Gabriel Reyes would have never laid a hand on her. He would never have pointed a gun at her. No, this terrorist was someone else who simply had a vendetta against Overwatch agents.

There was crackling as an intercom speaker came to life with the voice of the pilot.

"Reaper, this is captain Hundberg. We are being informed to drop you and the target off at a safe house in the vicinity. Talon needs Omega team to fly another mission since we're the closest to respond. ETA will be five minutes," the deep, male voice informed.

Angela looked up to see a slow tilt of Reaper's head as he heard the news. He was silent but everything about his body language said he rather they reach headquarters and not be dropped off in the middle of nowhere.

"Understood," he growled and looked back down.

The ship landed in a dark patch of grass and bush deep in the French forest. There was what appeared to be a large cabin ahead of them. The outside appeared to be a well kept cabin that someone could expect a millionaire to own.

Reaper's talon tipped hand had a firm grip on Angela's cuffs as he escorted her inside. Operatives were unloading the equipment and pelican cases into the safe house. The curtains to any windows were all closed to prevent any stray hiker from being able to peek inside at any occupants. As Angela entered, she noticed the little things. The windows weren't just weather proof...they were made of bulletproof glass, and built to be soundproof. There was a balcony that overlooked the large living room area. There were doors up there to rooms, but some of them had keypads. Those rooms she was estimating to be outfitted like cells to keep their prisoners.

The equipment was dropped off near a leather couch in the living room. Angela noticed they had brought her staff and Valkyrie suit. That was puzzling. Did Talon want her to serve them? Reaper was so wanting to kill her in Madrid, but now he was very reluctant to harm her. As the last case was set down, and the last operative walked out to get aboard the ship, Reaper slammed the door shut and locked it. Angela stood there, her heart racing. He turned to face her.

"You dare try running away, and I will shoot your legs off. Talon doesn't need them, after all. Just that brain in your head. So behave yourself and you get to keep your limbs, doc," he threatened.

Angela rather wished the ship had taken them straight to Talon. Angela felt braver facing Talon's commanders and finding out what they wanted from her than to spend a second alone with the terrorist Reaper. A dark colored shotgun was pulled and pointed at her. Frightened, blue eyes stared at it before moving to gaze at the white mask.

"Upstairs," he said simply. Angela began to move up the wooden stairs, her legs feeling like jello with each step. The fear in her was making her clumsy.

"Here," he said and reached out to grab her arm and stop her. It was one of the keypad coded doors she noticed while she was downstairs. Reaper punched in a set of numbers and the light went green. There was a small beep and the door opened. Angela was shoved inside a room with no windows. There was basic furniture. A bed frame with a thin mattress and worn blankets, a metal chair and a table, and across from her a small door. Angela sat down on the bed and tried her hardest not to cry. She was silent, but she couldn't stop herself as tears began to leak down her cheeks.

Reaper locked Angela into the room. It didn't matter to him what she did in there. What did matter was finding out an exact time when he and the target would be extracted and returned to base. Reaper went down stairs to find the communications room. The room was office sized and filled with many screens and computers. Reaper sat down into a leather chair and sent out a call to base. The commander appeared on the screen and wore a rather deep frown. It made the wrinkles stand out more and made him look older than what he was.

"Reaper. I heard you took Sombra on your mission. I thought I made it clear that she-"

" I needed her. She was essential to our success. That said, Omega team dropped us off in the middle of the forest. Is there an exact time we will be retrieved?" he asked quickly, not giving the man a chance to scold him for what he did.

"It won't be for a few days," the man said as he sat back in his seat.

Reaper stared at the screen and tilted his head ominously.

"A...few...days? Given the plans you have for this woman, I would like to think that you would want her at base by tomorrow morning," he said with the air that he wanted to be out of here as soon as was possible. "Not that high of a priority anymore? Then you should just let me end her miserable life here and now."

" Oh, she still is, Reaper. So do not lay a hand on that doctor. Unfortunately, we have so much going on, I am stretching our resources a little thinner than normal. With everything going on in Egypt, and now France, I needed teams in both places. There is also quite a problem in the Ukraine near the Russian border with the Omnics. Operatives have been sent in to deal with it," the commander spoke and tapped his fingers together as he stared at Reaper.

"I was not aware I would be assigned babysitting duties when I joined Talon," Reaper replied sarcastically.

" You will take care of our little doctor, Reaper, that's an order. We will have you both out of there in a few days. I will try and make sure it is as soon as possible," the commander said. " I consider this mission accomplished. Now hang tight where you are and stay safe."

The image of the commander disappeared and the communication was ended. Reaper stared at the dimly glowing screen for a while before slamming his clawed fist onto the console. This would be the longest few days of his life. He was cooped up with a former Overwatch agent who he desired to kill, but couldn't.


	9. The Embassy

Sorry it took so long! Had quite the month! But here is chapter 9 finally! I am going to try and work on 10 as soon as I can, and thanks to everyone who follows and reviews!

* * *

Chapter 9  
The Embassy

Not one soul on Gibraltar could sleep through the rest of the night. Everyone decided to spend the night doing whatever they could to ease the knots they felt in their chests. Reinhardt had decided to work out instead of laying in bed hoping for sleep to come to him. Jack stayed up, spending his time at the spot Angela was taken. Genji worked out on a training dummy set up near the radar array, until the sword was too heavy to swing. McCree took it hard. He drank heavily in the crew quarters, worried about what would happen to Angela. Gabriel had been very fond of Angela in the day, would he really hand her over to Talon? In the midst of his fifth shot, Fareeha happened to come into the crew quarters. Seeing what he was doing, she quietly sat with him and offered a weak smile. McCree returned the smile and knew what she wanted, and thus, poured her a shot of his whiskey. He didn't mind the company, and felt a mild comfort to share his sullen mood with someone.

When the dark skies of the night began to faintly brighten with the rising sun, many of the team began to make their way to Winston's labs. It had become a habit for them to assemble there for breakfast and discuss what they ought to do. Unlike in the past when they could coordinate their assistance with foreign powers, now they had to be careful where they went to help those in need. While normally breakfast was a chatty affair over food and coffee, this morning was rather subdued. No one spoke as they ate their meager breakfasts on a cleared table. McCree's tired eyes wandered to the doors upstairs where Angela's medical lab was.

"We failed her," he mumbled.

Jack was the last to join the team in the labs. He stared at the morose group sitting around the table, picking at their food. It was clear where their thoughts were. Jack had done a lot of thinking overnight, analyzing every second of memory in regards to what took place. It was urgent to inform them of the theories he had formulated and what actions they should be taking now.

" Team! Meet me in the briefing room in fifteen minutes!" he said roughly, turning about and leaving the labs.

Everyone watched him walk out, wondering what he was up to.

Jack had sounded optimistic. Did he have a plan to find Angela? Some, like Ana, remembered what happened to Amelia Lacroix and feared the same would happen to Angela. If they did find her, would she be safe to welcome back? McCree's thoughts were still scattered due to his late drinking, but like the others, he hoped that Jack's enthusiasm meant they could rescue their doctor. The more he pulled his focus together, the more he believed Angela had to be alive. His memories were wrangled together from last night. Reaper had tried to kill her. According to Reinhardt, it was blatantly clear what Reaper's intentions in Madrid were. So why bother taking her alive now? Why did the Talon team take her equipment and research, if not to use her to further whatever plans they had? Maybe Jack had realized this before the rest of the team had.

There was a note of haste among the team as they finished what they could of their breakfast and made their way to the briefing room on the other side of the hangar. They filtered into the bright orange room, gathering together in front of Jack. Behind him was a chalkboard filled out with bulletpoints and paragraphs. Some recalled old memories of being in this room with Jack drawing out plans on the very same board. It was a soothing feeling that they should all be gathering here again and drawing up plans against their enemies, this time to rescue a dear friend.

" Team, there's no time for moping around. Angela will be alive. But, we are not sure what they are going to do to her. They took her research and equipment," he said, pointing at a bulletpoint on the board. " She is a well known doctor who has pioneered in the field of nanobiology. It is that same nanobiology, we also weaponized a long time ago..."

Ana could feel Jack's eyes looking to her and her shouldered rifle, despite the visor he wore.

" Reaper was eager to kill her in Madrid...but this time, he flanked us and took her alive. Talon is going to use he if they are not allowing Reaper to kill her or harm her. We know Talon has a history of kidnapping brilliant scientists and doctors to use in developing better weapons and medical technology to use on their own, and achieve their own ends. This incident won't be no different."

McCree finally spoke up after Jack paused in his briefing.

" Yeah, but we all know how our little lady is. Now, she ain't goin' down without a fight. And knowing these guys, they don't take kindly to uncooperative hostages. We seen 'em brainwash people before, so they may try it on her. Means we're on a slight time limit, right?"

Jack nodded to McCree.

" We are, so, we work quick. Winston, scour the archives for old Talon locations. If they are still not operational, they may have clues. Fareeha, check with any contacts you have in Egypt with the military or Helix Security. They may have updated information on Talon that could be useful. Ana...we may have to see about visiting Talon agents still in prison around the world. They could know something they haven't yet told authorities..." Jack ordered, and looked to them. There was a very faint smile under that visor and mask. " Briefing's over, get to work, team." 

* * *

The sun was barely rising over the French forest, casting a slate colored light among the area. Reaper was just getting back from his nightly outing. It was not an outing he had planned on after the long night spent on the mission to abduct Angela Ziegler. The start of his disdain for his situation had been when the Talon commander informed him he was stuck at the safe house until further notice. His fury only multiplied after he performed a sweep of the safe house.

The safe house was an unfamiliar building to him, and as was a habit of his, he swept it to map out all his exits, and find hiding spots perfect for ambush situations if he couldn't get to those exits. This sweep had brought him to the kitchen. Curiosity led him to check the cabinets. There were various boxes and cans of food...but closer inspection revealed that the whole lot was expired. Their commander had said they may be there for a few days. This was a problem. Unlike him, who could go without in those few days, he knew Angela couldn't. The situation with no food was what prompted him to get on the computer and find out where the nearest town was, and head out in the middle of the night.

He returned with a few bags on each arm. It was a silly notion to think he had purchased the items. In fact, Reaper had gone to great lengths to make sure his presence was never noted in that small town. If any hint of his whereabouts were made public, it would only be a matter of time before the reunited band of Overwatch members came hunting for him.  
Once he entered the sleepy town, he found the local food store which was privately owned and operated by a married couple who lived above it. The security cameras were the first things to go, using his abilities to work around them and cut the feed. After locating the office in the back, he took the recorded footage to ensure there was no record of the night. Reaper then went through the back and the store itself, cherry picking all that was needed, placing the items in bags, and set them aside near the back door. There was one last objective he had to take care of...and they were upstairs.

Reaper felt more refreshed after he got in and began putting the food away. He didn't think about the biotic essence he took from that old couple which energized him. He had done it too many times to too many enemies and people, that he felt nothing for the husks of bodies he left behind. It was about his survival. Not theirs.  
There was only one more problem he had to deal with. He knew his hostage would be hungry by now. He knew she suffered a great deal of anxiety and adrenaline last night during her abduction. Before he had left, he had checked on her and saw she was sleeping. The most natural response once she woke would be hunger. This didn't mean he was about to cook a fancy breakfast for her. In fact, there was minimal effort put into preparing a meal.  
A pot was taken down to boil water on the stove, while a bowl with dried oats waited. Reaper was annoyed to have to care for his hostage in this manner. This was normally left to someone of much lesser importance than him...but given he was not left someone to aid him, it was up to him to do everything. He hated that feeling.

"She should be dead," he growled as he dumped the boiling water into the bowl and stirred the soaking oats up.

Reaper made his way up the staircase and opened the various locks on the door with a code and keycard. The door swung inward without a sound and he stepped in. Angela was still sleeping, curled up on the bed, under her covers. It didn't look comfortable to Reaper, as her hands were still cuffed behind her back.  
The bowl of oatmeal he made was set on the nearby nightstand. Reaper didn't leave. The tall, ominous figure stood over the bed silently. Arms moved and from within his coat, he drew two large shotguns. Both were held up and aimed at the back of her blonde head. The heavy guns stayed trained on their target for a long moment as Reaper contemplated disobeying Talon and exacting his revenge on the woman who made him like this. Slowly, the guns were lowered as he regained control of his rage. He made a promise to himself that after her use with Talon expired, then he would take his vengeance upon her.  
The guns seemed to evaporate into shadow as he took a key from his pocket. He leaned over and found her hands, and began to take the heavy, metal cuffs off of them. Clawed hands managed to unlock the cuffs without a scratch done to her. No matter how careful he went about the process, the slight brushes of those fingers was enough contact to startle Angela awake. Blue eyes snapped open, staring at the blank space of wall ahead of her. she could hear the rattling of her handcuffs behind her. She could feel the warm metal being removed from her wrists.

Angela quickly rolled over to see Reaper's backside as he was leaving the room. The black clad man paused at the doorway, his head tilting to look at her. Angela could only stare in fear. After all, this man had once tried to kill her.

" Eat your food," he said coldly, a silver clawed fingwr pointing to the steaming bowl of oatmeal.

" Blue eyes glanced to the bowl. Food was the least of her concerns.

" What does Talon want with me, Reaper?" she demanded.

" Shut up and eat your food," he growled, fingers twitching, wanting to draw his shotguns.

Before Reaper could take another step, Angela threw herself off the bed and bolted to him. There was no reaction time to evade her as she lunged forward and grabbed his wrist.

" Why didn't you kill me?! What does Talon want that you changed your mind?!" she demanded once more, staring right into the eye holes of his sinister white mask.

Reaper was in no mood to deal with anyone's attitude, much less from her. He yanked his wrist free, his arm making a quick rolling motion and capturing the outside of her wrist. His body became a flurry of shadowy smoke as he shoved her back pinned her against the wall. He took her other wrist and trapping both arms above her head. Reaper used his own body to keep her pinned to the wall, preventing her from kicking her way free. Smoke-like wisps of himself rose off his shoulders before disappearing. Angela was captivated by both fear and curiosity. He was the most ethereal being she had ever seen. Nothing like him should be able to exist.

"...What happened to you?" she asked with both concern and fascination.

An echoing sound of sardonic laughter came from behind his chilling mask. Reaper leaned in, his masked face an inch from hers.

"You tell me, doc..." he said sarcastically.

Reaper shoved her hard to the floor.

"Eat your damn food," he said one final time, leaving and slamming the door angrily behind him. 

* * *

Jack was out by the radar array, staring at the passing cargo ships. Everyone got into full swing after the briefing. With Jack providing a sound theory that Angela was alive and there was a chance to rescue her, their spirits were lifted from the sorrowful mood they fallen into. Winston had returned to his desk and was working diligently on bringing up any archived files they had on Talon. Fareeha was making her calls to see if there was any information her contacts could provide her. Lena was servicing their transport ship to make sure it was in top condition in case they had to leave immediately. Reinhardt had volunteered to do medical inventory and stock their transport ship. With no doctor, they needed to be prepared for emergencies on their own. Ana was not a certified combat medic like Angela, but she made a niche for herself when Overwatch weaponized Angela's technology and gave Ana biotic grenades and bullets for her rifle.

"Commander?" came a soft voice.

Jack turned to see Genji standing behind him.

"Yes?" Jack muttered.

"Winston says there is interesting news going on in France, wanted to know what you thought," he said calmly.

"I'll go see in a moment..." he responded.

"Also, I wish to make a suggestion, if I may. About not having enough medics..."

Jack stared silently to Genji, who had his visor up, eyes visible and looking hopeful. Jack wondered who he knew.

" My master, Zenyatta. He is...an Omnic, but, he is quite gifted in healing others," he said with a bow of his head.

Jack thought about it. Ana couldn't do everything herself. While he didn't doubt her steady hand and her abilities, he knew she was getting older. It would help ease the burden of keeping everyone alive if there was someone else to help her. Was it wise to have an Omnic on the team though? With the Second Crisis going on, she was unsure how the rest of the team would feel. Overwatch had been made to put a stop to the First Omnic Crisis...how would this Zenyatta feel joining a team that had put down many of his kind?

"Hm. Contact him then...see if he would be interested in joining. Be discreet..." he said.

Genji looked happy about the decision. Whoever this Zenyatta was seemed to have made a good impression the man. Jack could remember how angry and misplaced the young man's emotions had been after Angela saved him. It wasn't any better when Gabriel took him into Blackwatch as one of his own.

"Let's go see what Winston has," he added and went with Genji back to the lab.

As they entered, most of the team was upstairs, crowded around Winston's desk and its computer monitors. The news was reporting on what they were labeling a both a terrorist attack and protest in France. The Nigerian Embassy had been attacked by an anti-Omnic group. The news remarked that just the other day, that a Nigerian diplomat who lived in Numbani had been in Paris, talking to their president. He preached about the ongoing peace the people in Numbani had with Omnics, despite the current events going on in the world. The French president had expressed his wishes for France and other places to be as accepting, which had drawn disgruntlement from his own citizens. It was a very unfavorable situation.

The news went on to say that when the French police went to try and stop the group, they attacked. While most would assume the French people would be on the side of their own police, it didn't seem to be the case. Most of them held anti-Omnic resentment, angry that another crisis was breaking out in Russia and spreading, and the police and militaries in the world seemed to be more concerned about keeping peace with the Omnics. It made the people of France feel like they were second class citizens compared to these human-designed Omnics. Instead of addressing his citizens' concerns, their president decided to publicly show his support for being peaceful with the Omnics! The same ones waging another war on humans just a few countries over! The citizens felt slighted...and thus, began to take to the streets in protest and even defend the attackers. Chaos was erupting throughout Paris. The people of Paris had finally had enough.

"...Tracer already has the ship prepped and ready. Reinhardt, it is stocked with our medical supplies?"Jacked asked, looking to the tall German.

Reinhardt nodded quickly.

" Good," he said and took a look at the footage of where the protests were. It was all close quarters, on small avenues. " ...Reinhardt, Ana, McCree, Genji and Pharah...we're all going in. Tracer, you're our pilot. Get the ship warmed up."

The team was ready within twenty minutes. They were geared up, and fitting into their seats, strapping in. Winston gave them updates on the events unfolding in France, which only sounded worse with each transmission. Jack had a feeling that Talon was behind this. Normally, the group attacked places with specific targets in mind, no matter if it was a kidnapping, assassination or theft. With the discontent the country was feeling, it was a perfect storm in order to cause havoc and confusion as a cover to retrieve something or someone of considerable importance. There was a hunch that the attack on it was only to stir the public and cause a distraction while something valuable was taken from within the embassy.

Tracer put the ship down in a nearby forested area. The map they had of their location showed they had a straight shot to the embassy from where they were at.

"Ok, team...we're taking Henri Martin Ave...then the middle fork and straight down Victor Hugo Avenue. Embassy's down that way," he said, looking the map over once more on a portable screen. "We are going to investigate the embassy first."

Everyone was unsure of that direction. Were they not here to help get the situation under control? To find the original attackers and deliver them anonymously to the proper authorities? And help whoever was hurt? Ana arched a greyed brow at Jack, knowing he was on to something that he was not telling the rest of them. As his former second-in-command, she felt slighted he would not inform her of his true intentions on this mission.

The group made their way across a street and were on Henri Martin Ave. They walked the tree lined streets, looking up at the buildings lined next to each other, with mostly stores on the first floor, and without any alley ways or gaps in between. Cars were parked on the sides of the street but there were hardly any sign of people. It was eerie to them, given this was the time of day where there should be traffic. Apparently, the citizens felt so strongly and were so tightly united in their hate for Omnics that they turned most of Paris into a ghost town. Ana, who felt a shiver down her back, wanted off the streets and get to high ground.

"Jack, Going to get to the roofs...I will have my eye on everyone," she said once they got to a fork in the road. Ana went behind some of the buildings, disappearing out of sight. They continued their way and noticed the further down Victor Hugo Avenue they went, the more destruction they saw. Cars had been vandalized, and graffiti lined some walls with anti-Omnic slander. The windows fronts of shops were shattered, glass littering the sidewalks. As Jack surveyed the avenue again, the more he began to hate it. The trees provided too much cover for anyone on the rooftops, and the streets themselves were so close quarters, like a bottle neck. It was fortunate most of the rioters and protesters had moved further north towards the Arch de Triomphe where nearly every citizen was congregated, locked in an intense battle with their own police.

" This is Paris...you can't possibly tell me that not one-" Reinhardt started, but stopped when he saw a child stepping out of her home, looking down the avenue curiously towards the very faint noise far down way. A stern looking woman came out of the door and grabbed her child by its arm, yelling angrily in French before yanking her back in. Reinhardt caught a furious glare from the mother before the door slammed closed and was locked against any outsiders.

"Seems those who don't wish to be involved are barricading themselves in. Good idea," Jack said roughly, leading the team further down the avenue.

It was uncanny that they met no opposition, but Jack wouldn't complain. They got the front of the Nigerian Embassy. One would think the place would be guarded by police since the attack on it was what started the massive riots breaking out in Paris. Instead, some vandals were spraying the front of the wooden doors. At the sight of the odd group though, the pair quickly took off down the avenue, leaving the spray cans behind. Jack looked the front of the embassy over, noticing the second floor window was broken from bricks bring thrown through it. The front windows downstairs were broken too, but security bars had been put in place, preventing any of the rioters from entering. Not to say they didn't try. Upon closer inspection, Jack noticed the bars were bent from attempts to tear them out.

"McCree...go to the Arch de Triomphe and communicate back what you see going on. Pharah, the rooftop. Genji, get through that broken window on the second floor for us," Jack ordered.

Genji got through the second floor window quickly. There were people making their way down avenue now, but most didn't pay them mind, believing they were rioters like themselves. Genji had unlocked the door while McCree left with the people heading up to the Arch de Triomphe. Reinhardt and Jack made their way into the embassy once the people had passed and closed the doors. Jack led both Genji and Reinhardt, clearing rooms as they went. So far, most of the rooms on the first floor were clear. It was clear the embassy had their employees and visitors evacuated when the attack began. Still, something did not sit right with Jack. They made their way to a back room, the last room they had to clear before moving upstairs. The room was full of desks and upon first glance appeared empty if not for the tiniest shift of movement from behind the furthest desk in the back. Reinhardt threw his shield up and the three approached slowly, Jack and Genji both arming themselves.

It was an Omnic. The Omnic was on his knees, shielding himself with his metal arms, clearly frightened of them. Reinhardt disengaged his shield and approached slowly, taking a knee to lower himself to the Omnic's level.

"Hello there! We mean you no harm...we're here to help. Tell me, why are you still here? Everyone else seems to have evacuated," he asked kindly, hoping he wasn't too intimidating towards the cowering Omnic.

The Omnic lowered his arms slowly when it saw Jack and Genji lower their weapons. It got to its feet but was reluctant to talk too loud and made hand gestures for them to be quiet. Then it spoke in a whisper.

"There are people upstairs...they are trying to break into a vault we have up there..." it informed with fear in its tone.

There was ice going down Jack's spine.

" What's in it?"

" I...I don't know..." the Omnic confessed sadly.

Reinhardt frowned and gave a nod. " It may not be safe outside, but...you may want to get out. It's going to be more dangerous in here in a moment's time."

The Omnic nodded and began to leave out a back door. Jack talked into his communicator, informing Pharah who was still on the rooftop about what they just discovered. He told her of the enemies on the second floor, but given there was three more floors between them, she should look for a rooftop entry or fly down and enter through the second window and meet up with them, but to be careful. It was a miracle that Genji got through the second floor without being noticed when he initially entered the building. Whatever the enemies were doing, they were too distracted to notice someone coming through that window. That could be worked to their advantage. Ana reported in, informing them she was right across the building, looking into the broken window on the second floor. Jack was fine with her there, but contacted McCree and told him to report back.

" Shall I go and see what they are up to?" Genji volunteered.

Jack considered him a moment. Genji had been part of Blackwatch and like McCree, was very good at spying. He gave a silent nod and the man was off. It was probably best, to get an idea what was going on exactly and it gave time for Jesse to hurry back. Jack could hear something going on upstairs, but not sounds that would indicate genji ran into trouble. Not yet.

Jack informed her that when they decided to go upstairs and engage with the enemy, he would inform her to hover at the window at the right time and when to come in. Genji had come back down after a few minutes to inform the team that the enemy were using tools to break into a fairly large safe. It was large, like a bank's, and the locks and bolts on it were very complicated, so much so that the enemies were complaining about the time it was taking and effort to break into it.

McCree contacted them and said he was at the door. Genji went and got it for him, the men grouping together at the stairs. Jack looked to the three.

" Reinhardt...when we get up there, throw your shield up in the doorway. Genji, get in there quick and attempt to disarm them. McCree, if you have to kill, do it. But I want at least the leader alive. We will take him alive...I have a few questions for him," Jack said. Then he communicated to Pharah. "Pharah...hover outside that window. We're heading up to engage."

The four headed up the stairs as quietly as they could, Reinhardt in front of them. When they got to the room Genji directed them to, they could hear the noise inside. There were five in the room, all distracted while they were working on the fifth bolt thicker than an elephant's foot. Whatever was inside the vault, the Nigerian Embassy did not want anyone getting to it.

Jack put the communicator close to his visor. "Pharah. Now."

Reinhardt threw his shield up and entered the room, Genji dashing forward, having figured out the leader with the two visits to the room. He went to disarm him while the others quickly returned fire. Genji deflected the bullets, one of the operatives mysteriously falling asleep rather suddenly. While the other two had fire returned on them as they tried shooting through Reinhardt's shield. McCree's aim was true and found its mark in one of the men's hand, disarming him but taking his hand with it. Jack continued to fire at his target before he too, suddenly fell to the ground, asleep. Reinhardt advanced. Pharah had come in, her rocket aimed at the ones still standing.

"Give up and death will not escort you today!" she shouted. The men looked to her and the rocket she had aimed at them. Giving the close proximity and the size of the room, the group gave up and slowly raised their hands. Once they did, they suddenly fell unconscious, thudding to the floor. Jack advanced on the leader of the group with his pulse rifle aimed at the man's head.

"What the hell is in the vault?"

"None of your damn business," the man growled.

Jack stared at the man a moment before taking the pulse rifle and using the butt of it, slamming it down into the man's head. Blood gushed onto the floor as the nose broke.

" Let's try this again. What's in it?"

The man glared at him, and was refusing to speak even as blood dripped down his lips and chin.

" You work for Talon, don't you?"

They didn't need an answer. The man spitting his blood in his face was enough of an answer. Jack growled and punched the man hard enough that it knocked him out.

"If they're Talon, should I just shoot the others?" McCree asked, looking to Jack. Jack frowned and shook his head.

"Leave them," he said. "But this one's coming with us."

Ana came in silently through the window to see that her shots had found their mark,her aim still as true as ever. Genji was tying up the one they were going to take with him so if he ever woke up, he couldn't escape.

" The military has been called in to assist the police, Jack. We need to get out quick." Ana advised.

There was a stare from Ana's one good eye that was unreadable. Jack knew that gaze and he looked back to the floor littered with tools and loose articles that got strewn around in the attack and possible evacuation of the employees. Jack called for the extraction which Tracer was quick to respond to, giving an ETA of two minutes. Reinhardt grabbed their query and followed Jack downstairs. Genji remained, looking to the unconscious bodies of the Talon agents on the floor. Genji slowly looked to Ana. There were no words. Ana grimaced sadly and gave a nod before heading back down. Genji was the last to meet up with them all in the middle of the empty avenue.

Tracer hovered and ordered them to act quickly. The team quickly climbed the rope ladder, flying off just as Reinhardt threw the unconscious body of the leader Talon agent in and pulled himself in. The door closed and they were off before the French military could scramble a response. They headed back to base, their subject tied down while they strapped in for the ride. It wasn't their job to know what was in that vault. It was their job to stop Talon from getting their hands on it and doing something with it to use on the free world. It was their job to fight the Omnics if situation from Russia spilled over into the other countries and spread further. They considered this mission a success. Talon did not get what they want, and Jack had a sneaking suspicion the man they captured knew the whereabouts of Angela Ziegler. Once they got back, he was going to put the man through hell until he told them where she was.


	10. The Blackwatch Touch

A little shorter of a chapter, but it's going to lead up to something big! I hope everyone's enjoying the story! I have big plans for Reaper and Angela, so keep reading! And thanks to all who have given reviews and have favorited the story! I am going to try and update as much as I can!

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Chapter 10  
The Blackwatch Touch

Tired, hazel eyes opened to a hangar. Consciousness was slowly coming to Marc Gamlin. It felt like he had been out for a while, and his limbs felt numb. The red, glowing light that filtered through open door ways on the catwalk and ground floor gave away it was late evening. As he went to stand, he found his feet were tied tightly to the legs of a metal chair. When his shoulders gave a strong shrug, he also found his hands had been tied behind his back. Looking down, there was rope wound around him, keeping him anchored in the chair. _Okay, where the fuck am I?_ he thought to himself. Looking around, he saw some boxes stacked near an engine that was being repaired. His heart sank into his stomach as he saw the Overwatch logo. This had to be the base he was just at the other night on that mission with Reaper. _How the hell did they know Omega team was going to be in Paris? Much less, at the Nigerian Embassy? How'd they get the drop?_

He had been with Talon since the days of Overwatch's height. Even then, he knew they shouldn't be underestimated. His mind was coming back into sharp focus, running through possibilities. If the news broadcasted the riots in Paris, and made any mention of an embassy attack, the agents that had returned at the recall could have pieced together that an embassy attack was not just from anti-Omnic sentiments. The world could perceive it that way given the high tensions and the Second Omnic Crisis brewing into a firestorm in Russia. The blatant support the French president showed Nigeria and it's diverse city of Numbani was a great scapegoat...but, hardened veterans like former Overwatch agents could have seen the embassy attack from a different point of view...and theirs had been right.

"Looks like our lad is awake!" came a gruff voice. Marc looked and saw a fairly short man with a long, white beard. Torbjörn had come back with a bag of tools which he dropped near the raised engine. Marc looked to see other people coming from the crew quarters. The man with the red visor was the one who sent a shiver down his spine. He knew who it was, though the world only knew him as Soldier: 76. Hazel eyes sharpened at the man as he led his team of recalled agents out to stand before him.

"Kill me. I ain't telling you shit," Marc stated. Jack only looked at the man for a long moment from behind that gleaming red visor. Marc didn't see it coming. Something very hard and very heavy hit his face and made stars flash before his eyes. Marc reeled his head back and was dazed. A warm trickle of liquid was running down his lips and chin from both nostrils.

"Oh, you're going to tell us everything we want," someone said. Marc looked to the side, for the source of the statement. It was coming from a man in a red poncho and with a cowboy hat. The infamous McCree. He saw the man was holding both his Talon communicator...and his own personal cellphone. Marc's face blanched.

" That communicator tells us your real name. It's logs tell us your missions that Talon sent you on...even your most recent ones. And your personal phone yielded quite a lot of personal information," Jack said softly, not looking away. " Personal information like the fact your wife is pregnant with your very first child. In the event you were ever captured, we quickly deduced Talon would be quick to try and get to her before we did, so we wouldn't be able to use her as leverage against you. Too bad they were too slow."

There was a sick sensation in Marc's stomach and his heart rate jumped instantly at the revelation they had his wife somewhere. "Don't you fucking lay a hand on her!"

" Then tell us everything we ask of you, and you walk out of here with her, with no harm done. Don't tell us...we turn you in and Roxanne has to raise her child all alone since your parents are dead and hers disowned her for marrying you. Get the picture, scum?" Jack explained. "We'll give you time to think about it. McCree. Stand guard with him."

Everyone left the hangar, going their own ways. McCree pulled out a cigar and lit it, and went to sit on some crates. There was a reason he was the one told to guard the man. McCree had learned quite a lot with the Deadlock Gang, and even more when he joined up with Overwatch and got into Blackwatch. That included manipulation and social engineering. It had been McCree's idea to kidnap the man's wife as a method to gain the man's full attention. Nothing worked better than threatening loved ones. It was a common Blackwatch method. Jack had not been in full agreement with it, but McCree finally convinced him. No harm had to come to the man's wife. In fact, Lena and Winston currently had her in Winston's lab and were making warm food and tea for her, and assuring they meant no harm by her. He wasn't sure how it was going since he was here, but the little lady seemed cooperative so far.

" You know, partner...if you just tell him what he wants to know, it makes everything easier. I was once like you, on the bad side of things. Sure you heard of the Deadlock Gang in America? Yeah, my young days I was caught up in that lifestyle. Was pretty darn good at it. But...life's got a funny way of presenting opportunities. I got caught and was given the choice of joinin' up, or rotting in jail. Well...I don't quite fancy sitting 'round in a concete cell, so I agreed," McCree explained, taking moments to take a draw from his cigar.

"Ain't ever too late to do the right thing. You know where the Talon bases are. You know where Angela Ziegler is. You were on the mission to come here and help kidnap her. Do that...and I'll see that you get some kind of protection so Talon don't come after you. Think about Roxanne, and her safety from them. About your first child after all this time..." McCree offered now, giving the man a stern gaze.

Marc listened to McCree but refused to look at the cowboy. If he didn't tell them anything, what would they do to his wife? If he remembered right, this man was a former Blackwatch agent. Blackwatch operated under Overwatch...but they followed their own set of rules that were not necessarily in line with Overwatch's own ideals. None of them were above abduction, extortion or blackmail. In fact, they used those tools effectively to make even the hardiest leaders bend to the agenda Overwatch and the UN had for the world. Blackwatch never handed out empty threats either. There was no one to help support Roxanne if he was ever to die or be caught. They had money stowed away, but it wouldn't be enough to protect her and help her raise her child alone. Maybe it was time to retire from this Talon career.

"...You better. Give me everything I want in protection, and I tell you everything," Marc said with narrowed eyes. McCree gave a chuckle and took out his new communicator, calling for Jack to come back to the hangar. 

* * *

Boredom didn't bode well with Reaper. He was getting restless and doing everything he could to take his mind off of being cooped up in the safe house. Multiple perimeter rounds were done around the house, and even skimmed the tree lines surrounding the area. There were no new messages or calls on his communicator he could answer to. He had even checked on his query through a small peephole in the door to see she was minding her business. Frustration was oozing off him as he dropped himself onto the soft couch and turned the television on. Riot reports blazed across every news station. The news remarked on an attack that was made on the Nigerian embassy, not long after the French president showed his support of the Nigerian diplomat and the peaceful co-existence of Omnics and humans that continued on in Numbani. The attack sparked a riot, with citizens taking to the streets to show their displeasure in their president and his remarks, when the Second Omnic Crisis was just next door. The report also spoke of four bodies found decapitated inside the embassy. The four were reported to be rioters trying to loot the embassy's vault, but the mystery was who killed them and if anyone had information, to come forward to the French police.

"So they failed," Reaper muttered. The television was turned off and he stood back up. Those people in the embassy were no rioters. He knew Omega team had been sent there on a mission which apparently was to find something in that vault. But there was only four bodies. Some seemed to be missing. They needed that extraction now more than ever. If Jack and his Overwatch friends managed to take someone alive for questioning, he was sure they would find a way to get answers.

Reaper went to find his communicator and make a call to their commander. Once he picked up, he demanded he get his transport. Though he was not facing their commander, Reaper could feel the fatigue of the man. Losing four operatives in one day was not in his plans for the day. Their commander did agree they needed them out quick. Ziegler was needed for their new project, and getting him and her out of there was becoming more of a priority.

Their commander also confirmed Reaper's one worry. Sombra managed to hack the servers that recorded the security footage of that embassy. The ones to have stopped Omega team was Overwatch. And they had taken one alive. Images were forwarded to Reaper of the dead bodies and of one of his former Blackwatch operatives severing the heads of the team. The one they kidnapped had been the leader of the Omega team. He knew the coordinates of their location. Luckily, the safe house was in a large mountain range that was hard to get to even for their own Talon operatives. Overwatch would not be able to locate them that quick even if they had the coordinates.

"...They may get those, so we are making plans for extraction, Reaper. They found out who Marc's wife was and got her before we could. He loves that woman too much, he may tell them to protect her," the commander said with a hint of anger. Reaper couldn't exactly explain the odd sensation he felt in his chest when the commander mentioned that, but he excused it away as him needing to replenish the waning biotic essence he got from his kills.

" Then have us out soon," he said, not caring if they hunt the man down and killed him for his treachery.

"Tomorrow, Reaper. Prepare the equipment, keep the doctor safe," he said as his last orders before hanging up. Reaper lowered the communicator and stared at the setting sun outside. It reminded him how late it was getting and the doctor hadn't had much but a pitiful bowl of simple oatmeal. He also had a slight hunger for something with taste to it. Even given his odd existence in this world, he still hungered like anyone other. Off to the kitchen he went to prepare food mostly for himself and grudgingly making more than usual so the doctor could have some. Tomorrow was a simple extraction. Reaper didn't expect trouble, but not everything was always so predictable. He would need her nourished and ready to move and not famished and sluggish. If it were up to him, he'd let her starve in that room.

The sun was almost gone, and night was falling by time Reaper was done. Simple rice, heated beans, and stewed beef was sitting on the counter. The rice and beans were mixed up and the stewed beef ladled on top. A smaller bowl of the food was made for Angela. He grabbed it and some water to bring up to the doctor. The door was unlocked, not caring to knock or ask if she was decent. It wouldn't matter to him. He stepped in to find her laying clothed on the bed, and giving him a wary blue eye. The hot food and water was set down on the table while he retrieved the empty oatmeal bowl. He did things silently, not bothering to talk to her, as if she was a simple dog he was in charge of.

"...Rice, beans, and ...beef?" she said softly. Reaper turned his head to see a set of curious eyes on him. They also held a sense of accusation. She could not possibly figure out who he was by a simple food dish, could she?

"Plentiful and cheap food to get here. We're on the border of France and Spain, and quite close enough for Spanish food to have an influence on the cuisine here. But if you do not want it, I will gladly take it away," he offered.

"No! No...I...I mean...well. I have had it before. It's a good dish...thank you," she said nervously and looked to him again.

"...Hn, then shut up and eat it, woman," he said and left the room, locking the door behind him. Angela stared at the spot where the door closed, her head filled with such confusion. Slender hands took the warm bowl and brought it close, looking into it. She stirred the contents around, letting the stew of the meat sink and flavor the rice and beans. Brows furrowed as she tried to dispel the nagging thoughts in her head. Reaper was right. This was a common dish almost anywhere. It was cheap and economical to make...but the spices used, the flavoring...it was a little unique. As much as she wanted to believe the terrorist was right and it's just a simple dish, part of her was remembering the theory McCree gave her about Reaper. That he was really Gabriel Reyes.

Marc was brought into a bright orange room. He had to be escorted down the path to it, flanked by McCree and Jack. Marc was sat down at a small, folding table with some water and orange slices. Marc frowned, ignoring the orange slices but taking grateful sips of the crisp, cold water. The large man that had the shield was out of his suit and leaning against the wall by a chalkboard. Even without his armor, the much older man still was an intimidating figure. There was a woman there too, with white hair and a patch over her eye. The four looked to Marc quietly before Jack spoke up.

"Start talking," he ordered.

" Not before I'm promised every protection I can have to ensure my wife's safety, and my own," he shot back.

Jack frowned. "Fine. You will have it. Now start explaining," Jack replied irritably.

Marc grinned and began listing active Talon locations. Ana was writing them all down as a list on the chalkboard. Marc gave specific coordinates as well, to ensure they had the right places. He explained they had tight defenses, some of them military grade. He even eluded to the fact some of the weaponry was obtained from the very Deadlock Gang that McCree had talked about. Ana was jotting down every tidbit of information that was pouring from the man, nearly filling the chalkboard. Locations were good, but they would need blueprints of the facilities too if they were planning attacks. At this point, he didn't care what the group did to Talon; he just wanted his wife safe and be allowed to take care of her.

" And Ziegler?" McCree reminded him.

Marc looked to McCree and nodded some.

" 42°46'12.9"N 1°16'32.5"E...that's near Ustou, France. Reaper's there in a safe house with Angela Ziegler. Omega team had that mission in France, and commander wanted us to drop them off there on our way...we were closest to be assigned to the mission," he explained. Ana had quickly wrote those coordinates and wrote the name of the place. "Now can we talk about how we are going to protect me and my wife?"

Reinhardt frowned, and looked to the other three. " How can we promise this man protection, when we ourselves are in violation of the Petras Act?" he asked. They all didn't have the main means to give this man witness protection treatment. Overwatch would have normally done that for informants but that was when the UN and other programs were funding them. Marc smiled slowly.

"Then protect me and I won't tell them all what you're up to...or, if you need another pilot, we can just stay here if you can't guarantee our safety outside this tiny ass island," Marc stated as he leaned back in his seat.

The four stared at the man, with Jack itching to punch his nose further in. Ana grabbed Jack's wrist and tugged him around. "We all talk," she said. McCree, stood watch while the three went outside in the twilight of the day and discussed how they should handle the situation. Ana was blaming McCree.

" It was his idea to bring someone in delicate condition here, and use her as a pawn. It should never have happened," she said crisply. " We have other methods at our disposal."

" Doesn't matter now, Ana. We got the information we want...and someone who may want to help us if we allow it," Reinhardt spoke up. "We can't let Lena have to pilot all our missions. She is a spunky girl, but I'm sure she may get tired of that."

"But letting them stay here...we do not have a certified doctor at the moment to handle the woman if she begins to give birth. We have the facility, but do you know how to use the equipment or give her the pain shots to the spine for it? Even if it is a natural birth, we need a real doctor to be able to deliver the child and do the proper care," Ana interjected. Reinhardt quieted and folded his arms at Ana's observation.

"Look. We can look all that up later. Winston can help with that. But if we cannot safely get this man hidden and under radar, their lives are on our hands," Jack reminded them.

The three were silent for a moment, before Ana looked to Jack.

"They stay...until we can get them situated. Fake identities, have them move to another country in a remote region, and so on. First order of business, we need for them to get their own money out. I'm sure he may have some savings and money, and he will need it in cash which isn't traceable. Find them some place, say in...Canada. In the remote wilderness. Perhaps...the Yukon, I believe? We can do this, we just need time," she explained.

Reinhardt and Jack nodded. They would need that time, and if the man was offering to pilot, the temporary help would be nice to have. The three made their way back into the briefing room where Marc still hadn't touched his orange slices, but the water was completely gone. Jack stepped forward.

"You stay with us temporarily and pilot for us when asked, while we get stuff in order. We are going to need fake identities for you and her. And to get your money out while you can, so you can carry on. Canada's your best option. Lots of wilderness to live in, and stay hidden in. But...you give us your word you never contact Talon again. You do not go to the UN about our operations. Talon is not going to be forgiving about the information you given us and they will want you dead. You can not retrieve any belongings from your home now...Talon will have the place under watch to see if either of you return to it. It will be a trap. Is this enough?" Jack asked.

Marc thought about it and believed it was a well laid out plan. It was a fresh start for life too for him and Roxanne away from all the killing and stealing he had to do. Hazel eyes closed as he imagined this new kind of life and immediately was taking a liking to the idea. He folded his arms and nodded.

" Agreeable...so...where's Roxanne?" he asked, eyes seeming more alert, wanting to see her. Jack stared at the man and called on his communicator for Lena to bring Roxanne to them. It was a good ten minutes, but soon enough a woman with golden brown hair and bright green eyes entered the room with Lena beside her. Roxanne grinned and ran to Marc's outstretched arms. The others were silent with McCree and Reinhardt leaving the room. Marc looked up to Jack a moment, frowning.

"You may want to hurry up on getting to them. I'm sure Talon is expecting I may tell you everything if they found out you got Roxanne first. They will want to move the two quickly," he said.

"...Ana, let's get back to the lab. We have to plan this and quickly. Tracer, show the couple to where they'll be sleeping," Jack said and left with Ana. There was much to figure out, and Jack wanted to get to those coordinates quick.


	11. Turbulence

It has been a while and I am so sorry! I had some personal problems in my life that prevented me from updating for a while. As well as Overwatch events...and Doomfist this week! I do hope you enjoy this chapter! With the new Overwatch Comic out, I got great plans now! Thanks to everyone for the great reviews!

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Chapter 11

Turbulence

The night was calm and quiet over the Mediterranean Sea. Cargo ships passed by the small, rocky island of Watchpoint: Gibraltar, their lights twinkling aboard their decks. It may have seemed like a peaceful night to the eye, but not inside the walls of the watchpoint. Tension was at an all time high as time ticked down to the wire for the former Overwatch agents to save their doctor and friend, Angela Ziegler.

The computer monitors in Winston's lab were alight with various satellite views and topography on each one. The team had to carefully plan their rescue, researching the terrain with the help of Marc. He was there to give them tips and explain the rough terrain, helping them formulate their approach on the safe house deep in the forested French mountains. He also provided information on the safe house and the likely location within where Angela may be kept. It took precious time but their rescue would amount to nothing and endanger themselves if they did not know how to pilot around the mountain ranges there or know their ins and outs of the building they were going into. Jack was satisfied with he plan they had, and looked to the team he had picked.

"It's time, let's go," he said simply and they headed out without word.

* * *

Reaper liked this time of the night. The night was silent outside and even more so inside the safe house. A single, dim lamp was lit on a table against the wall, casting a soft orange light over the sitting area. He was sprawled out on the couch, eyes closed but far from sleeping. This silence was his moment to relax, which he rarely did. Between the pain that constant dying and regeneration put him through, the Talon missions filled with gunfire, and annoying teammates like Sombra...moments where one could find silence were few and rare. They were moments to cherish. It gave him time too to reflect on this mission.

He hated it. This mission was considered babysitting far as he was concerned. He knew why Talon wanted Angela and knew what they expected of her. Reaper found it infuriating that the leader would have the team drop them off in the middle of some rugged forest terrain to continue onto another mission in Paris. If she was such an important asset to acquire, they shouldn't have left them in the middle of the French mountains with no clarity when they would be extracted. He did the bare minimum in making sure their subject was looked after but nothing more. There was a list of other more personal matters he rather attend to than be stuck in the middle of the forest with Angela. He had already promised himself of all the Overwatch agents he wanted dead, she would be the last one to go.

Reaper began to push such aggravating thoughts aside. He wanted to enjoy this silence and relax, not stew over the past and raise his blood pressure. There would be a lot going on in the morning. Most everything was still already packed so the extraction transport in the morning could easily load up and they could be on their way. Even with Marc caught, he knew it may take some time for Jack and the others figure out a plan to navigate the mountain range they were in. By time they were on their way, they ought to be already in the sky heading to the Talon base. There should be no worries at this time of the night; there was plenty of time for it in the morning.

Unfortunately, Reaper was not always a lucky man.

A shrill ringing pierced the silence of the house. Angry eyes looked over to the communicator on the coffee table and its bright, digital lights glowing, disturbing the calm ambiance of the sitting area. What could they want at this time of the night? A clawed hand reached over to pick it up, clicking a button on the side to answer the call.

"What?" he said in a clearly aggravated tone.

"Reaper, get the girl and the equipment ready NOW. There is an unknown aircraft entering the airspace of the safe house. There are no commercial routes over that area. We have a feeling it's Overwatch. Our transport will be there in fifteen so hurry up!"

The call ended before Reaper had time to ask any questions of their commander. Reaper stared at the communicator before growling and getting up from the couch. Reaper went to one of the boxes and rifled through it quickly, grabbing Angela's Valkyrie outfit. He was not able to discern whether or not that a dog fight in the air may occur and needed her prepared. With the suit and other accessories in hand, Reaper went up the stairs to the room where she was kept. There was no courtesy of knocking as he unlocked the door and barged in loudly. The sound of the door slamming open startled Angela from her sleep, groggily looking at the black clad man standing before her.

"Get up and put this on. Now," he said, throwing the suit at her. "And do not ask me about getting dressed in front of me, we do not have time for this."

Angela frowned and got out of her current clothes, stripping down to her underwear. She was still sleepy and having a hard time balancing herself, but the urgency in his voice made her heart race. What was the emergency that he came barging in and barking at her to undress and get in her Valkyrie suit? The more she woke up the more she thought that maybe the reason for the rushing was Jack and the others were on their way. There was no other explanation for the need to rush.

" Ten minutes, let's go," he said as she began to zip up the back of the outfit and sit down to put on her shoes and the shin guards. Once she was dressed, he grabbed her and handcuffed her arms behind her back, marching her down to the first floor. She was shoved down, falling onto the couch he had just been relaxing on. As he move to computers at the desks by the stairs, a billowing kind of smoke arose from him. Clawed fingers were surprisingly nimble, keying in commands to wipe the hard drives on each computer.

"Wh-what's going on?" she asked, eyes watching him move about the room as if he were merely made of smoke. The masked face looked towards her, but he said nothing as he resumed his actions. Just when she thought to gather her wits again to ask Reaper what was going on, the front door slammed open. Talon operatives were flooding in, grabbing the boxes and carrying them out quickly. Reaper informed one of them to leave one box alone. Reaper kicked it open and inside it was the wings for Angela's valkyrie outfit. The staff had been disassembled and placed inside the protective, carved foam of the case. Reaper grabbed the wings and ordered her to stand.

Angela did and was confused. How did he know how to affix the wings onto the suit? Why was he suiting her up anyway? Once Reaper seemed sure the wings were correctly connected and fixed to the suit, he turned her around sharply and grabbed her chin. Red, glinting eyes stared at her from behind that foreboding white mask.

" You are going to do everything I tell you to, doc. Heal us if I order it, boost us if we need it...no tricks, or I will blow that pretty face clean off your shoulders. Understood?"

Angela nodded silently to his commands.

"Good, let's go," he said, picking up her staff pieces, and shoving her forward towards the front door.

Angela took her steps out into the dark night, looking up to the sky full of twinkling, bright stars. There were no planes in sight, nothing to mar the perfect sky above them. The air was crisp and cool, with the faint scent of wet ground in the air. Angela didn't realize she was slowing down her pace and was brought back to reality when Reaper shoved her forward again, making her stumble.

"I said, let's go, doc!" he said angrily as a flurry of Talon agents around them loaded up the humming transport craft before them. As they drew nearer to the open door of the craft, she felt Reaper stiffen and stop beside her. There was an odd looking young woman in neon purple standing before them with a smile. Glowing nails flashed in the night as she waved at them.

"Ola," she said, her eyes looking Angela over a moment before focusing on Reaper.

"What are you doing here, Sombra?" he asked, his voice not hiding the aggravation he felt for her.

"Commander sent me as a last resort to hack the enemy's flight systems if it they come too close in range. I can make their engines fail and get them off our tail if they manage to get a lock on us after we leave here," she explained.

Reaper said nothing else but Angela could feel the annoyance radiating off of him. He shoved her forward and past the young woman to the aircraft. Angela climbed into the aircraft and waited, looking at the seats with the over-the-shoulder restraints. Reaper wasted no time in uncuffing her and moving her to one, making her sit in one, buckling her in, and pulling the restraint down. With her wings folded, it wasn't as uncomfortable as it could be. Reaper checked the restraint and went about putting her Caduceus staff together, Angela still silently amazed he knew how to handle her equipment. Eyes showed suspicion as he did...the only ones who would have any inkling how to handle her equipment would be former Overwatch agents, and not just any Overwatch agent; ones she may have worked close with or on missions.

" Hold your staff," he ordered.

Angela held to it with one hand, the other holding fast to the restraint locked on her. The boxes of her research and equipment were loaded onto the craft, secured down and ready to go. The Talon agents got into the transport with them, Reaper and Sombra sitting across from her and pulling down their own restraint bars after buckling in. Reaper didn't seem to be looking at anything. It was hard to tell with his mask. Angela noticed Sombra was staring at her. It was unnerving to her, as the young woman didn't seem to blink much and gave a slight grin. To avoid her uncomfortable stare, Angela decided to look down at the floor.

The transport began to lift into the air, and quickly head east. Angela felt a strange constriction in her chest. Anxiety began to take a hold of her as she realized this was it. She was on her way to Talon, to be used for whatever ends they needed from her. There was fear of being brainwashed. Of being beaten or even killed. It wasn't uncommon for Talon to use these methods, as they been known to kidnap scientists and other important figures back in the day when Overwatch was still very active. All Angela could hold onto was a little hope that Jack and the rest of them would catch up and be able to rescue her.

* * *

Tracer was looking at all her instruments as she flew their aircraft into France. She stayed low enough that military radar may not pick them up and was minding the mountain terrain around her. According to the coordinate programmed into her flight data, they were coming up on the location. There was an image of the topography pulled up to assist in her landing into the inky blackness below her, with a red dot marking their targeted landing location. As she began to make preparations, her eyes caught something. She quickly got on the speaker to the team sitting in the back.

"Commander, come take a look at this!"

In seconds Jack was coming up the small stairs and at the back of her seat. There was a sleek looking aircraft quickly heading east that had just lifted off from the ground below them. It was unusual. The forested, mountain ranges here didn't have any airports, let alone any real cities or towns. Even if there was, it was highly suspicious for one to be taking off this late in the night. They also were not crossing paths with any known commercial airliner routes. It left no doubt in Jack's mind that the aircraft taking off for the east was Talon. They managed to get to Angela and Reaper before they could but as long as they were in their sights, Jack refused to give up.

"Follow it," he ordered.

Back in the Talon aircraft, there was a lot of commotion. Their pilot had noticed the blip on his radar and quickly informed his crew and the other agents to strap in and also have their guns ready. Someone radioed to the rear gunner to fire upon sight of the enemy craft. Sombra was catching on to what was about to happen and called over to Angela.

"Hey, doctor, do you like rollercoasters?" she asked while she laughed.

Angela didn't know what the young woman, Sombra, was talking about. It took a few seconds but it clicked. Angela barely had time to tighten her hold on her staff and the restraint bar as the aircraft took a sudden pitch upward and was flying high into the air, throwing her sideways in her seat. If they were taking sudden and drastic measure like this, Angela knew that Jack and the others had to be on their tail and now Talon was trying to out maneuver them to lose them.

Tracer was doing everything she could to keep up with the transport craft. It took some daring to fly their own transport plane in a way that was not very usual for it. She was tempting fate by pushing the engines the way she was. As the transport heading north took a sharp upturn into the air, she followed at Jack's orders behind her. Jack was gripping the back of her cushioned chair, hanging on as they rocketed into the sky after their query. Tracer was uncomfortable firing upon the ship knowing Angela was on it. What if she miscalculated and caused the ship to crash? What if it killed her? Tracer's hands hesitated at the controls to fire. The enemy didn't.

The tail gunner of the transport ship was firing upon them and Tracer had to veer their aircraft to the side to escape the bullets. The move nearly threw Jack off his feet and into the side consoles, but he held tight to the back of Tracer's pilot seat, able to stand when Tracer's leveled the aircraft enough for him to find his footing. How were they going to manage to save Angela if they couldn't approach the enemy without getting shot down?

"They are going to shoot us down if we get too close! What do you want us to do, Commander?!" she shouted at him, her full concentration to piloting the aircraft.

Jack was thinking as quick as he could. What could they do to board that aircraft and try to commandeer it? Pharah came to mind as did McCree. A crazy idea was formulated in his head. It was dangerous and reckless. It was also their only chance without shooting the enemy's transport aircraft down and risking killing Angela.

"I need to talk to Pharah and McCree! Keep on them and don't lose them!" Jack ordered and made his way to the back.

He made it to Pharah and McCree, and explained his plan. McCree was for it. Being in Blackwatch had prepared him for outlandish tactics like Jack's solution. Pharah balked at it. It sounded incredibly dangerous and expressed her concerns that such a tactic was insane and risked their lives. McCree stared at her.

"Girl...you're sittin' there pretty in a suit with _explosive rockets_ in it, and you want to call this plan crazy?" he retorted. " Okay then. Get Tracer to get close to the ship. We'll do the rest."

Jack made his way back to Tracer, the rocking motion of the aircraft being maneuvered not sitting well with his stomach. As he reached her, he told her the plan. Tracer had no faith the idea would work but it was the best shot. It meant some daring on her part too to try and fly close enough to the ship and parallel enough to allow the two to board it without losing them. Tracer pulled up and pushed the thrusts for the engines as far as she could without the risk of blowing out the reactors powering the engines.  
McCree was strapping on a parachute and grabbed one for Angela. Pharah explained she wouldn't need one given the suit of hers could keep her in the air and was intending to ensure that her suit would not get damaged in this attack. The two went to stand near the bay door, waiting on Tracer to get close enough and open the door for them.  
Jack looked back and saw the two were ready and ordered Tracer to catch up. Talon was flying erratically through the night sky with just enough control to ensure they did not crash. Despite every attempt they made to evade them, Tracer stayed right on them and flew above, trying to stay out of their visual and avoid the gunners.

The Talon agents inside were shouting orders. The tail gunner had no visual but relayed the message the enemy may be flying right above them. The pilot was relying on both his radar and eyes to try and look for his enemy, but to no avail. They had to be above, and flying parallel enough that even the radar map showed what appeared to be only their aircraft. The pilot growled and began to slow the thrust of his engines enough that the enemy would fly forward and he could get a clear shot, being careful to not stall the engines.

Sombra could hear the trouble they were having. It sounded like the Overwatch pilot was the one called Tracer who was an exceptional when it came to flying any aircraft. If more time was wasted, they would figure out how to board their plane and then they would really have more problems than trying to shake off their enemy's aircraft. Sombra undid her restraints and ran up to the cockpit, seeing the enemy ahead of them and just above. It was now or never.

" Apango las luces!"

A powerful energy rushed through the air. It reached out far, washing over Tracer's aircraft. The instruments inside began to glitch, and Tracer noticed the engines losing their thrust. She began to fight the plane, near panic. Every pilot knew that unresponsive instruments was certain death for an aircraft of any sort. The plane began to lose its altitude and she called back for Pharah and McCree to strap in.  
They were not the only one having problems. Sombra's attack had also effected Talon's own aircraft. Their pilot as beside himself with rage at the young woman.

"You crazy bitch what did you do?!" he shouted as he fought the controls to glide the plane, noticing his enemy was doing the same and gliding away so their aircrafts did not collide. Sombra ran back to grab a parachute. Reaper noticed the woman's anxiety. Something was not right and the turning in his stomach was enough clue they were going down.

"You damn fool," he growled as he got out of his restraints and went to grab a parachute. Other Talon agents were doing the same. The pilot ordered for his crew to abandon, using a manual control to drop the bay doors for his crew. Reaper looked to Angela and noticed there were no more parachutes. Alarms in the plane began to go off. The two planes had been playing a dangerous game as both had been flying low to avoid radar detection by the French. Now with both planes uncontrollable, and losing their altitude, the ground proximity alarms were going off as they approached the mountain terrain below. Reaper knew they had moments. Most of the crew had abandoned, and a small explosion in the cockpit meant that their pilot had just ejected himself. Sombra took a running jump and leapt out of the bay door. Reaper was the last left behind.

He forced the restraint up on Angela. He grabbed her, ripping her up and out of the seat. Angela had been in a state of panic ever since she felt her stomach turning, knowing it meant their aircraft was falling from the sky. Reaper shouldered and clipped the parachute on himself, the two barely keeping themselves upright near the bay door, the wind whipping across their faces.

"Hold on!" he yelled at her. Angela didn't need telling. With no parachute, she wrapped her arms tight around his neck and jumped up, her legs wrapping around his waist, the ankles locking behind him. She held tight to her staff in one hand, her arm braced against his back, her other hand grasping tight to his back. She felt his heavy footsteps as he ran forward and leapt from the aircraft. The sensation of nothing beneath them caused her to hold on as tight as her muscles would allow her. She buried her head into his chest plate, as if trying to mold herself against him, fearing the fall from thousands of feet with no parachute.  
She felt a sudden and strong pull. Fingers dug into the back of him as she felt the parachute get air into it and pull them up. Angela had her face buried against his chest plate still, the air rushing around them. In the distance, she could hear the faint, whistling sound of the aircraft still falling. Reaper was moving his arms as she clung to him and she knew he was trying to direct the parachute. Chancing a glance, she pulled her head away just enough to look down and see an inky sea of blackness below them. The moonlight was only enough to barely make out the fact the terrain under them was rough. No matter where they landed, it was going to hurt.

" Brace!" he yelled from behind his mask.

Angela did. She fitted herself the best she could against his body and in moments she felt something whipping hard against the back of her shin guards. And then further up her legs until they reached the unarmored part of her body. She screamed as tree branches smacked against the back of her thighs and soon her back. The force was so strong she feared either of them may break bones with the landing. She could hear low, guttural yells from Reaper as he too was getting hit with the trees. As the two fell into the forests of the mountain range, Angela felt a sharp pain in the back of her skull as a a thick tree branch slammed into it, knocking her head into his chest plate. The pain was too much for her body. Angela closed her eyes and passed out, spared ever knowing or feeling further pain as Reaper crash landed them through the trees and to the damp, forest ground of the the Swiss mountains.


	12. Tua Culpa

I AM SO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING SO MUCH HAPPENING IN REAL LIFE!

I do come with a fairly long chapter to make up for it and hope everyone enjoys! As we know Angela's still stuck with Reaper, and Jack and the others failed in saving her, but Jack is stubborn. And the others won't give up so easily!

Also been playing the Halloween event this year and got lots of goodies so far! Hope everyone else is faring well with the event this year! To everyone who reviews and reads my fic, thank you so much for all your support! It makes me happy to see people enjoy my story! Thank you again!

* * *

Chapter 12  
Tua Culpa

 _The large transport was nestled in the middle of trees, hidden from any normal or satellite view. It was one of Overwatch's standard transport ships, but converted into something more. It was essentially a flying ambulance. There were cramped hospital beds bolted down in narrow rows. The shelves held all the essential medical supplies one would need to stabilize someone until they reached base. These transports weren't often used on Blackwatch missions, but Commander Morrison had one go on the precaution surrounding the target Blackwatch had that night._  
 _The target was heavily guarded and armed. Their target was also fairly hated by many. He was no stranger to death threats or attempted assassinations. Problem was, most of those attempts were by lone wolves or ameteur rebel factions. They had yet to deal with a coordinated attack planned by military trained personnel armed with sophisticated weapon technology._  
 _The medical transport were not given the details of Blackwatch's mission that night, only that it was dangerous and they should expect some injured agents coming back. Their communications were quiet for now, as nurses and technicians played card games or gossiped, waiting for any notification to come. Angela Ziegler was the only doctor on board. She currently sat in the comfy booth near the coffee maker, reading news reports on her glowing tablet._  
 _There was crackling on the speakers, silencing the whole team. " Blackwatch 2 coming in! Three injured! One severe! ETA 5 minutes!"_  
 _Everyone leapt into action. Nurses prepped the beds quickly, while technicians checked the equipment to ensure all was in working order. Angela threw the tablet to the table and got up quickly, overseeing her team's prep work while she began to get gloves on. Those five minutes had gone by in what felt like seconds before the bay door began to lower, opening to the cool night air. Angela heard the whining engines as the smaller transport landed, with the flight's crew getting the injured off and quickly to the medical transport ship. Nurses rushed out to get to McCree, who suffered a few bullet wounds. Another coming off the transport was holding an arm that looked very distorted. When the nurses helped him pass, Angela could see that the man's forearm had been snapped in half. The third was none other than Reyes himself, struggling to stay on his feet as two crew members aided him. He was groaning in pain and stained in his own blood._

 _"Mein Gott!" She exclaimed, helping the crew members get him into a bed. "What happened, Commander Reyes?!" she asked, beginning to make quick work of his arsenal and clothing, wanting to get to his body and see the extent of his damage._

 _"Goddamn ambush...we nearly had the idiot, and five of his personal guard flanked us and launched a heavy assault," he explained, wincing and growling as moving him about to just remove clothing was painful for him. " Ben managed to get three of them but one threw a grenade that Ben didn't see...told everyone to take cover and tried to kick the fucking thing away from us."_

 _"You_ kicked _a live grenade?!" she said in astonishment, pausing her removal of his pants. " Are you crazy?"_

 _" I had to, that shit would have gotten me, Ben, Jesse and Ella. The two got some lucky shots off me and Jesse, but the explosion didn't get anyone but me. Knocked me down on my ass. Ella and Ben took care of the two guards, Jesse ran after and got our target. Got to hand it to him, he did it with two bullets in his shoulder...so much for a quiet operation," he growled. Angela shook her head as she was getting his pants off finally. Despite the pain in almost every nerve of his body, he couldn't resist from cracking a joke to lighten the chaotic mood surrounding them. "Say doc, if you wanted to see me in my underwear, you can just ask any old time."_

 _Angela scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Seems like any old time is right now as I patch you up, Commander Reyes," she said as she began to get a bottle of saline to clean out all his wounds. There were so many. Most of it seemed to be shrapnel from the grenade he told her about. "How many bullet wounds?" she asked, looking to him. He pointed out the one in his thigh, his side and shoulder. Angela was keen about the one on his side, but seeing it, she noticed there was an exit wound. The bullet had gone through his muscle, and hadn't seem to hit his organs which she was thankful for. She prepped to get the bullet out of his thigh though, getting her tools in order. "This might hurt a little..." she said, looking to him. Gabriel only grinned._

 _"You've dug plenty out of me, I trust you..." he said. Angela went about getting the slugs out of his shoulder and thigh. Gabriel cried out and growled only when she was fishing about with that long, tweezer like tool inside his skin. It was a relief though as each slug was pulled out. There was still a deal of pain but less once the slugs were out, plopped into a nearby metal dish. Angela went about cleaning out the wounds and bandage him up. "Once we get back, we can get x-rays done to see if there is anything broken," she said, wrapping his side as he sat up in the bed. Gabriel smiled as she finished up, fastening the bandages with medical tape. "Thanks, doc..." Angela set the tape aside and pulled of the gloves, casting them in a bin. She looked to him as he thanked her and smiled back, taking his hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. "You're welcome."_

* * *

Angela began to wake, feeling groggy. The dream she was having was fading from her. The last, shadowy vestiges of it still remained as she kept her eyes closed. She began to grow conscious enough from her sleep that the pain in her legs and back jolted her into being wide awake. Angela was staring at an unfamiliar ceiling. She winced as she sat up, taking a look around. The room and its furnishings were all nothing she never seen before in her life...and sitting right across from her in the strange room was a figure of black. Reaper was sitting in a seat, staring right at her. The jarring sight of him had startled her.  
Realization dawned on her and made her remember the predicament she was in. The air battle was no figment of her imagination. It had happened. Reaper had jumped with a parachute, taking her with. They had crashed through a forest.

"Good. You're alive," was all he said before standing to leave the room. Angela threw the covers aside and slipped from the bed, her legs protesting in pain as she stood on them. "Hold on, Reaper...wait," she asked, walking towards him. Reaper stopped in the doorway, giving a slight turn of his head towards her. Angela didn't want to say it. This man had attempted to kill her. He had then resorted to kidnapping her. Getting her hurt. He was a terrorist. She wanted to scream at him for it, and demand an answer as to why he was doing all of this to her. Could she not be justified for wanting to know or wanting to scream at him for the pain he put he through so far? But...she was alive, and he had ensured that when they jumped from the plane. Reaper was tilting his head, showing his impatience at her silence. Angela took a calming breath before she spoke.

"Just...despite you having kidnapped me for some nefarious purpose," she said sharply before softening her voice," I want to thank you for at least saving me."

Angela looked d own, no longer able to look into his mask. She was not sure what made her want to thank him, only thinking it was the right thing to do. Reaper was still staring at her even after she averted her eyes to the floor. "Don't think it's because I have a heart, doc. Talon still expects you," he said coldly before walking away, slamming the door on his way out.

* * *

The morning was dreary on the island. No sunlight could break through the thick, iron colored clouds which poured a haze of rain on the watchpoint and surrounding waters. Everyone was still up since the mission late last night. No one could sleep after that. Ana had patched up those who had received some wounds, while Lena was sitting near Winston, nursing a strong cup of tea, still amazed they made it out alive. The fact anyone of them were sitting in Winston's lab currently was thanks to her expert piloting skills.  
The systems booted back up moments before the ship's alarms began to go off due to ground proximity. Athena came back online just in time, to bring all the controls back on. Lena worked quick in the cockpit and had managed to pull the large ship up and away from the collision course with the mountains. Lena flew back to base in a haste, before any of France's air force picked up on what was going on within their borders. The trip back was uneventful, and Lena watched all her instruments carefully but nothing was amiss. It didn't settle her fears. When they landed, she had a talk with Winston, demanding at some point the next day the both of them and Athena go through the system and hull of the ship to ensure there was no further damage.  
The whole event had shaken her, and many of the others. Part of the reason why they were sitting around Winston's lab, drinking something or munching on whatever they could scrounge up for breakfast. No one cared to talk to one another but the solace of each others' presence seemed to signify their solidarity as a supportive team.

It wasn't long after Lena had her last gulp of tea that Jack walked in and looked at everyone sitting around. The depressed and sorrowful mood of the room was thick enough to be tangible. They all were not the only ones with a heavy heart. Jack had wanted to do all he could to save Angela, and they had failed for a second time in doing so. It was a blow to their confidence, but Jack was stubborn as always. He would not give up on his own mission and others he had once worked alongside with. He cleared his throat in a loud manner to get everyone's attention.

" Look. I know we are still upset about what happened. But we are not going to give up. Angela never gave up on us, we shouldn't do the same. We saw most of their people bail that plane, I would not be surprised if they managed to get her off safely too. Talon obviously has great need for her, they would keep their 'query' safe. So, once we watch the media channels a little and assess it will be safe for us to go, we're going to use our coordinates and go back to do some reconnaissance, and look for any clues about what may have happened to her.

"I agree, sounds like the right thing we ought to do," McCree said as he looked up. " Say later in the evening, if the French ain't aware of what happened."

"I agree as well, we may find clues to where they may have taken her too," Fareeha chimed in. Jack looked to the two, and then the others who seemed to be in agreement.

" It's settled. We conduct a search once we make sure it is safe for us to do so, and once everyone has had some rest," he said. "Ana, Reinhardt...I need to talk to you two."

Ana and Reinhardt walked out with Jack, standing just outside the mouth of the lab so they didn't get rained on. Jack was looking to make sure no one was trying to eavesdrop before he decided to tell him what he saw. They all had had their differences, and their arguments in the past, but they were the only two he trusted.

"I may have...neglected to inform them of what I saw, but I need you two to know," he said in a serious tone, insinuating they were not to tell the others. " I know what I saw. As Lena was fighting with the ship, I looked out to see the Talon crew bailing out. Reaper was the last one...and I could tell Angela was with him. He had her wrapped around his body holding on as he managed the parachute. She is alive, and still in his hands. We need to find her and quick."

Ana and Reinhardt looked to one another. Reinhardt still was not aware who Reaper was; a secret kept between himself, Ana, and McCree. Jack didn't want to think of how Reinhardt would react if he found out.

" None of us think Angela will turn on us on her own volition. She is too much a pacifist to do that. But...we need to find them and soon. Reaper is her keeper until Talon gets their hands on her. And we know she will refuse to help them, but we also know what Talon does to their more stubborn subjects...we can't let it happen," he said to them both. Reinhardt and Ana understood what Jack meant. Time was still of the essence for them. The only minuscule break they had in this situation was Talon would have to take time to scavenge and find them too. The two were lost in the wild forests and mountains of the Alps; it was just a matter of who would reach them first.

As the two headed back inside, Jack went to sit on some supplies containers outside the lab, looking to the grey skies. Jack knew he shouldn't be he was taking this personally. Reaper had escaped him with Angela twice. He could not be sure if Angela had learned his identity yet, and feared if she did. If she ever learned who Reaper truly was, would she side with him? Would she protect him when time came for them to end Reaper? Would she compromise and join Talon for the sake of being at his side? Jack had been aware of how close the two had gotten in the past, but even with all her love for Gabriel, he had held on to his selfish vendetta against himself and the others. While he was caught up in that coup, and knew who led it, he had to wonder why Gabriel would. Was it his own choice? Or was he a double agent? Before he ended Reaper, he had to know. He had to ask why Gabriel would risk everything to bring them all down. If his hatred was really that rooted inside of him...and Jack swore he would have his answers for what happened to Overwatch and Gabriel himself. 

* * *

Angela could not rest. She looked through the windows to see a porch. Past that, wild wilderness. Nothing but trees and mountains for all the eye could see. She could swear she saw a stream or river far down the slope through the trees. The idea of escape seemed hopeless. Even if she managed to escape, what kind of wildlife was out there? Wolves? Bears? Was there even a small township this far in the mountains? Though, for this cabin to be built, there had to be some way the owners got their supplies out here to build it. The question was how far, and if she would survive out in the wild long enough before she could find out that distance.  
Not seeing a way to escape, Angela turned her curiosities to the room she was in. The bed had an old, brass frame for it, with soft white and powder blue covers. The desk had a comfortable, worn look to it, boasting common items such as an old wooden cup holding pens and pencils, a lamp, and various paperweights. Pictures hung on the wall of a family who appeared close. Pictures showed an older couple with a younger couple, presumably their kids, in places like Paris, Bonn, and high in the mountains in hiking gear, all wearing smiles. But the place was empty now. Angela hoped it was only a vacation home and the cheerful family didn't have to meet the likes of Reaper.  
Angela went to the door. To her surprise, it opened when she tested the knob. A blonde head poked out of the room to look down the hallway. There was a heavy door to her left with no windows and looked locked up. There were a series of doors in front of her and down the right. She began to wonder which one was the bathroom. After everything that had happened, she sorely wished to tend to her hygiene.

Angela tried the door to her right, only to find it was a small room housing a washer and dryer. Turning around, she tried the next door, to find storage space with boxes and bags. She went to the next one, near the locked door. As her hand rested on the knob, she jumped when she heard a deep voice.

"What are you doing?" Reaper asked, standing and blocking the opening of the hall. Angela kept a nervous clasp on the doorknob.

"Looking for a bathroom..." she said in a meek tone. Reaper was silent as he pointed a clawed finger at the door she was in front of. When Angela opened it, she peered in to see a small, furnished bathroom.

"When you get out, there's food," he said and left. Angela slipped into the bathroom. turned the lights on, and closed the door. Nimble fingers turned the small lock on it, not wanting to be bothered. As she looked around, she noticed this bathroom had no windows. Angela went to turn the water on, and stripped out of the Valkyrie suit. If anything, she truly needed to tend to it and make sure it was still functional. She hadn't quite noticed at first, but it seemed Reaper had taken the wings off of her and put them somewhere else, leaving her only in the body suit as she rested. She only hoped the crash hadn't damaged anything to them.

As she stepped into the shower, she sighed in satisfaction as the hot water poured over her. She washed with what soap and shampoo was left in the shower, letting her thoughts wander.  
There was no way to escape, that much she was sure. No one would know where they were either, not Overwatch and not Talon. The two of them were stuck and no one knew if they were alive or dead. Angela had to think how she would make this work in her favor. She didn't think she could ever convince Reaper to not turn her in. In fact, the man seemed to hate her, so much that he even tried to kill her without hesitance. If Talon didn't want her for something important, she was sure Reaper would just end her and leave her body to rot. That was the hurdle she had to jump. Figuring out why Reaper held a personal hatred for her. From there, maybe she could work on convincing him to not harm her, or not turn her in at all.

Angela finished up and grabbed a towel to dry off. Realizing she didn't want to get back in her dirty Valkyrie suit, she peeked out the bathroom and rushed to the bedroom. She went through the closet to find clothes, and found the best she could that fitted her. She ended up in a pair of tan slacks and a red tank top. She came back out to the small kitchen, noticing a plate with a large sandwich. Angela took the sandwich and inspected it, noticing cheese and ham. She took a bite, finding the taste not at all bad. But...the contents made her mind whirl with worry.

Meat spoiled quick. So did bread. Even if the food was refrigerated, meat had a bad habit of going bad quick. This ham tasted rather fresh. Given how far off in the wilderness they were, products like meat would be an endeavor to go get, even if one were to hunt. Angela knew if perishables were present in the cabin, it meant the owners had to have been here. They were, of course, nowhere inside the cabin and it left her wondering where they were at...and a sinking feeling in her stomach she could guess the answer.

Angela had finished off the sandwich. Despite the fate of the unfortunate cabin owners, her stomach would not allow her to pass up a meal given how much time had passed since her last one. She went into the fridge to find something to drink when movement out of the corner of her eye distracted her. Angela looked up quick to see Reaper coming down from the stairs. Looking up quick, she noticed wooden railing. He was staying in the loft of the cabin. Keen eyes also noticed something else as he made his way down without a word to her. His movement and gait was off.

"Reaper, are you injured?" she asked, taking a few cautious steps in his direction. The man stopped and looked up, a low growl escaping from him. Anyone else would have noticed the danger signs and let Reaper be, but Angela was a stubborn woman. There certainly was fear within her that shook her body and caused her heart rate to quicken, but she was resolute in offering her help to him. He ignored her as he tried to make his way to the bathroom down the hall. "Please, let me help..."

Reaper had enough of it. He turned on his heel, his mask inches from her own face. "Why?!" he snarled, the wispy-like black smoke rising from his frame.  
The outlash made Angela jump, but she didn't run. Blue eyes stared to those dark slits of his mask, swallowing down the lump stuck in her throat.

"It's what I do...I'm a doctor..." she said. Reaper was glaring at her for a long, silent moment before he let his shoulders drop, knowing well that she would only pester him until he would relent and allow her to inspect him.

"Fine! Your stuff is in your room...that staff. Military bag of medical supplies in the storage closet there," he said, pointing to the door she had glanced into earlier. " Whatever you need."

He continued to the bathroom and slammed it shut, a crack racing down the middle from the force he used. Angela had gone to her room to retrieve her staff and stopped by the storage room, dragging out the large canvas bag full of typical medical equipment. Angela began to set up on the dining room table while Reaper was in the bathroom.  
After he was finished using its facilities, he stared at his masked face in the mirror. Clawed hands gripped the edge of the marbled sink as his mind raced and fought with itself. There was a sadistic part of him that wanted to reveal who he really was to her to enjoy the horror and shock that would fill her face, and the chance to rub it in it was all her fault. It would give him a chance to scream at her the kind of hell her so-called life saving technology could do in panicked hands.  
The more reasonable part wanted to argue she should not know who he was. If she did, once she recovered from her shock, there would be endless begging for him to denounce Talon and come back to them. Given the constant pain that plagued him and fury that burned inside him, his patience was non existent to withstand such nagging for however long they were trapped in the small cabin together.

The rush of thoughts were interrupted when pain shot down his body. The crash had done a touch more damage than he initially realized. He was used to the normal pain of his body breaking down and repairing itself, but this was a sharper, more aching pain in particular spots where heavy tree branches had slammed or smacked into him during the crash landing. The biotic essence from the couple that owned the home helped sustain him but it would not last long. He had to hide those shrunken, dried bodies in a rush before Angela woke up, half hoping some wildlife would take care of the remains. Reaper sighed and shook his head. He should have pulled the trigger quicker in Spain or he would not be in this situation.

When Reaper came back out to the dining area, he noticed Angela had turned the dining table into a medical station. The large, canvas bag was open on one end, with some of its contents taken out. The Caduceus staff was laid across the table. Angela was just putting on some sterile, blue gloves when he came back out. He wanted to laugh. What help could she provide to stop all the pain she was responsible for causing? Maybe she could subside the pain but it always came back. Always. Thus was the damned cycle he suffered of constant decaying and regeneration. Reaper stared at her and the table from where he stood, hesitant to approach.

" You're being pretty helpful to someone who nearly blew your head off," he said coldly, wondering if she would let him go without medical help if he was rude enough to her.

" Not everyone who intends to do harm is always a bad person, I just wish I knew what I done so wrong by you to deserve it," she said and beckoned for him to come closer. "Will you tell me?"

"Nope," he said as he approached and went to ease himself into the seat. Angela was nervous. She knew one wrong move could cause him to harm her.

"So be it..." she said and decided to carry on with treating him. " Where does it hurt?"

There was silence as the masked face looked to the wooden floor. Angela waited for an answer, believing he may just get up and refuse help if she pushed too hard.

"Everywhere, " he said finally, in a muttered tone. " It feels like I'm falling apart..."

Angela wore a frown at his admission. Hands were gentle as they touched him. " Tell me specifically where it hurts most..."

"My right arm," he said.

Angela's gloved hands were tender as they undid the straps wound around his bicep. Was he really hurt everywhere? Did he suffer from some form of chronic pain? Eyes looked over his arm and noticed something an oddity concerning his skin. It was paler than what it should be. It appeared fair like hers in some demeanor, but with an odd, barely noticeable grey tinge. It was not ordinary to see such color in any manner of skin. As the leather made straps were unwound and set aside, she noticed some bruising. Pressure made him twitch. Angela noted there was no swelling and the pain didn't seem intense enough to indicate any breaks or fractures.

"Your arm took some bad bruising, no breaks..." she said. "Anywhere else? Your limp...was it the leg or hip? Back?"

Reaper didn't looked to her as he responded, only informing her it was the right hip and calf, after having slammed into the forest ground when they landed. Angela looked over his clothing, outfitted with heavy belts and ordinance. She took a step away, her heart picking its pace up at the thought of asking him such a question.

" In order to inspect your wounds, I do need you to undress a little for me, enough to see what is going on," she requested, hands clasped together with nervousness.

Reaper said nothing. The only movement he made was in his fingers which twitched with the desire to wrap around her throat and throttle her for asking. An irritated sigh came from him as he finally stood up and began to undo the many belts around his waist. Each one was laid over the back of his chair. He knelt down carefully to unbuckle his shin guards and boots, taking each part off carefully. Angela stood, in a state of both fear and fascination. This was a terrorist known to leave no trace, and had attempted to kill her. He had hunted down Overwatch agents and killed them. Yet, here he was in front of her, doing something so basic and simple as undressing. No one ever stopped to think these terrible people could do every day common things such as eating, or undressing. It was because it humanized them, and that was always taboo.

As Reaper stood back up, thumbs in the waistband of the pants, he paused and looked to her. Angela didn't need the mask off to know he was glaring at her with aggravation.

" Can't you just heal me with that staff?" he said in a growl. Reaper did was reluctant to undress in front of the doctor.

"Not until I can see the extent of the damage done to you," she said, "if I overuse the staff's healing abilities, it can cause side effects."

Reaper stared at her as she stated that.

"Huh. Is that right...wonder how you found _that_ out," he said with a tone of accusation. Angela did not know how to respond to it, confused by his attitude. Reaper finally undid his pants and let them drop, revealing black boxers underneath. Angela took a step forward, eyes already seeing the discoloration on the calf. He had taken a beating from the trees and ground on that crash landing, making her own aches seem superficial. Angela knelt to inspect the calf, looking to his other which looked quite normal aside from the off color of the skin. There didn't seem to be swelling. Hands inspected the bruising, feeling only a faint firmness to the skin due to its condition.

"Deep tissue bruising...treatable," she said, and hoped there was some sources of potassium to prevent any cramping that could happen. Angela stood and looked to him with a glance. Gloved hands reached for the waistband of his boxers. "I just need...a small peek," she asked in a mild manner.

Reaper huffed and threw his trench coat to the side for her to access. The slender fingers pulled the waistband back enough to see deep bruising on his hip. They were nearly black and blue, and she knew he had to have hit the ground hard to be this injured. Fingertips gave ginger prods to the bruising and the outer rim of it, which shot pain through Reaper's hip down his leg each time.

"Will you _stop_ that?!" he snarled at her.

Angela glared at him when he winced away and snarled. " Deep bruising like that can indicate breaks, or bone bruising. I need to inspect the area by hand to be sure. Now, let me do my job."

Reaper's fingers were twitching for his guns. Talon or not, he was becoming more and more drawn to outright killing her and letting Talon find some other talented medic or scientist. Angela finished up with her inspection of him, seeming concerned about his hip more than anything.

" Deep tissue bruising. Maybe even the tendons. You hit the ground mostly with your hip from the looks of it. I can ease up the wound with the staff, but in measures. There is no severe swelling which is a good sign, and you seem okay with putting slight weight on it...I would like to inspect you further, and make sure nothing else is wrong."

Reaper tilted his head at her, perplexed why she was so helpful when she still did not know who he was.

"Goddamn nuisance," he muttered, but let her continue. Angela pushed up on his vest and top, inspecting his stomach mostly. She noticed no purple discoloration, which relieved her. With how hard he may have been hit while landing, she was fearing internal bleeding. All the gear he was wearing appeared to be good for something. Angela went to get a stethoscope, standing as she listened to his stomach, hearing normal sounds...but something else was off. She moved the stethoscope up and to his chest. There was a heart beat...it was steady. Then, it began to fade. Beating slower...until it stopped. Yet, this man was standing. Still breathing. With no heart beat. Seconds went by without a single beat. Eyes widened as the heart thumped back to life again, returning to normal. This was no heart condition. She did not know what this was.

"Reaper..."

The clawed hand reached up to capture her wrist and lower it away from his chest.

" Mein Gott...was ist..." she stuttered in her native language.

"Forget it, doc. Get rid of my bruising," he said. Angela took the stethoscope off and set it aside, in clear shock. Numb fingers grabbed her staff and checked the settings, while Reaper pulled his pants up and began to put fasten his boots and shin guards back on. Angela could not stop staring at him in fright and wonder. How could this man be standing so calmly when his heart stopped beating, rendering him clinically dead? What in God's name was he?

Angela took the staff and pointed it at him, pulling its trigger. A yellow beam of light erupted from the end, twisting about and spiraling before connecting to Reaper, the only biological source for it to lock onto. Reaper gripped the back of the chair as the beam fed the engineered biotic material into him, which began to flood through his veins quickly rushing to the most severely affected areas of his body. The pain in his hip began to lessen, and he was finding standing to not be as painful. There was also another pleasant side effect.  
The typical, chronic pain he endured since that day was lessening as well. His body felt rejuvenated. The biotic healing was regenerating his cells at a quick rate, negating the typical cycle of decaying that normally followed. He felt alive again...but as soon as the beam disconnected, the usual pain began to bleed back into his nerves. He sighed. It was nice while it lasted.

"Better?" she asked.

"I suppose," he muttered, rolling his shoulders.

Angela seemed to be rattled from the discovery of his abnormal heart rate, but tried to remain professional and focused.

" Tomorrow, I'll check again...do another treatment. It may remain discolored for a little while longer," she said, eyes searching the items from the bag she had pulled out. There was some ice packs one had to crack to activate, and some rolls of sticky gauze. " Use some ice to keep swelling down, and stem the bleeding. Wrap to keep them in place on the leg and hip, especially."

Reaper noted how distracted Angela's voice was as she handed him the items. The gloves were pulled off and discarded as she began to re-pack the bag. As Reaper began to buckle his belts of ordinance back on, he made a decision. He wanted to make her suffer for everything she had done.

" Least you did better than last time," he said in an off-handed fashion.

" Last...?" Angela stuttered, dropping some rolls of medical tape into the bag, turning to give Reaper a look of confusion.

Reaper turned and approached her, his head at a tilt as he spoke.

"...After the explosion. In the hospital. Frantically pulling me back from death...you never heard, you couldn't." He said, leaning in to her shocked face once he was close enough, and whispering.

" In my head, I was begging you to stop the pain, but you didn't. Sometimes, doc...death is better than suffering." He took a step forward and leaned near her ear. " I should have died on that table. What I am now...is your fault. You're responsible for this..." He said softly before stepping away and heading to the stairs that took him to the loft of the cabin

Whatever Angela was expecting Reaper to say to her, never did she expect that. Her legs gave out as she crumpled to the ground, sitting there in utter shock, her blue eyes wide and stared forward. A hand clutched at her chest, feeling her heart thumping against her ribs like a trapped bird. Eyes barely registered the dark figure going up the stairs and casting her a glance with that white mask before he was out of sight. Silent tears spilled down her pale cheeks, as she began to fathom the weight of his confession through the dizziness she now felt.

McCree had been right all along. Reaper was Gabriel Reyes.


	13. In the Passes

I bring another chapter! I had some fun writing this one, and stuff will start getting serious after this. There are still some canon events I have not mentioned yet, but of course, will be mentioned later on. I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far, and thanks to all the lovely reviews! It brightens my day to see them and encourages me to continue this story for everyone!

* * *

Chapter 13  
In the Passes

Rain poured while the sea wind lashed at the small island the watchpoint was situated on. The later afternoon brought heavier storms than the misty morning had. The rain was beating down over the closed hangar. Distant rolls of thunder could be heard over the soft melody playing from a nearby radio as the occupants of the hangar worked.  
Lena and Marc were inspecting the outside of the transport ship, looking for damages, while Winston was working inside of it with Athena, running every scan they could think of. McCree was sitting inside the transport at a small table, playing cards while everyone else was busy. Jack had told them to get some rest, but most of them found it hard to.  
Lena could only get an hour before she was up, adamant about getting the transport ship looked at. She had woke Winston, dragging him out to the hangar to help her. Marc was not spared either. He had not been able to sleep and had been enjoying a cup of coffee with his wife when Lena barged in and awkwardly asked for his help in assessing the transport ship. He didn't see why his help was needed when she could just zip around the craft and do her own assessments, but his wife nudged him into it, as Lena had been very nice to her when Marc was being interrogated. McCree had barely laid down in the crew quarters and slept a total of forty-five minutes before he woke up from tossing and turning. When he came out of the quarters, he saw the others starting their work on the transport ship and decided to grace them with his company.

Marc had a clipboard he was writing on, jotting down any damages he saw. When he came to one of the hover engines, he frowned. The plating and part of the panels that controlled the engine's thrust were damaged. A rough drawing he made of the ship on paper was at the top of the page. A red pen circled the engine he drew, and below began to list his findings. As he was writing his assessment down, Lena appeared right in front of him, making the man jump in surprise.

"Jesus-damn! Don't do that," he said and composed himself. " Scared the shit out of me. Look, we need the engine here repaired. It's taken some damage. Anything else you found on the other side of the hull?"

Lena told him what she saw which was more superficial damage to the hull. Their only concern was the hover engine Marc had noticed. Lena had checked everywhere else she could, even atop of the transport ship. There was only surface damage which she knew could be buffed out. Since Marc and Lena were done with their outside inspections, they headed into the ship to see what Winston and Athena had done. Lena was dying to hear their summarized report about the ship's systems and if it was still safe to pilot.

As the two walked in, McCree gave Lena a friendly wave from the table. His feet were kicked up as he drank from a bottle of beer, working on a solitaire game. Lena rolled her eyes.

" You could help us, you know," she said in frustration.

"Help you do what, darlin'? I'm no mechanic or engineer. Now, if you need some heavy lifting, come let me know. Until then, I'm your handsome wallflower," he said with a grin and tipping his hat to her.

Lena threw her hands up in the air and walked to the cockpit. She ran up the stairs to see Winston sitting at the glowing screens just under the pilot seat. Some panels had been removed for him to access some of the hardware and software of the ship. Lena was reading over the binary chemical compounds the ship warned about that made up the energy for the ship's fuel.

"Sooo, Winston, what's the word?" she asked, seeming eager to see if anything else was wrong with the transport ship.

" Well, Athena and I did a scan on all the systems to ensure there was no lasting damage done by the EMP attack. But, it's very odd..." he said, scratching his forehead.

"What's odd?" Lena asked.

"Well. An EMP attack is an electromagnetic pulse of energy. Even on low scale attacks, such pulses can melt the circuitry and conductors in electronic devices, large or small. Whatever EMP attack was used, the effect was temporary, as most attacks can be. It certainly disrupted the electrical power of the ship, and how it is routed. It's why you lost power to all engines and the ship itself. The frequency of your equipment was blasted with interfering energy.  
However, what surprises me is the minimal damage. Athena and I did find some equipment that needs replaced or repaired, but it isn't as much as I would have expected. In fact, I'm surprised Athena was able to get the system up for you to pilot the ship back," Winston said as he looked to Lena.

" We were truly lucky then," Lena muttered, walking over and leaning in to look at the circuitry that looked fried. " What kind of person could mount an attack like that in a middle of a fight like that?"

Marc was listening quietly as the large gorilla explained what had happened to the ship's software and equipment. He could think of one person.

"Talon has a woman by the name of Sombra. Kid's real good...can hack anything and everything. I am sure she had something to do with it," he said. "She had cybernetically altered herself long ago, according to her. So, she doesn't need a computer to do what she does. Not always."

Lena knew facing someone like that could become problematic in the future. They needed to tell Jack about this Sombra, as well as turn in their summarized reports about the ship. They knew Jack wanted to begin the search as soon as it was deemed safe, but that would not be possible until they fixed what they needed to on the damaged ship. All the information they got from the flight recorder boxes would prove useful too, she felt, in narrowing down where their search would have to be.

"Well, let's tell Jack about it, and turn in our damage reports. Sure everything will be all right!" she said with a cheerful tone. It wasn't easy to deter Lena's upbeat attitude, not even in the face of adversity. All the worries the woman had she hid them well behind her smile.

The used the catwalk to go through the viewing window and server room to avoid the pouring rain. It was inevitable though, as they got to the doorway, and had to run down the path and turn the corner to the labs. The rain was relentless and soaked them as they ran to the lab's door and rushed in. They made their way in and saw Jack, Ana and Reinhardt upstairs on Winston's computer. Winston hopped up there quick to see what they were doing while the rest took the stairs.

Jack had various sites pulled up. News reporters were speaking on various subjects. Each one was in French. There was news about the riots that had started in the Arch de Triomphe, the anti-Omnic movements, and a foiled bomb plot to attack the Eiffel Tower. Tensions were rising in France after the their president supported the notion to make peace with Omnics, despite the situation in Russia. With so much going on in the country, Jack felt more convinced that they may not have noticed their intrusion last night into their air space. The unrest in France was the perfect situation to try and fly under radar and begin their search. The only other thing Jack needed was the flight information of their ship to estimate just how wide of a search they would have to conduct.

"So France has no idea what happened, do they?" Lena asked as she appeared right behind where Jack was sitting. The others hovered around the back, looking at all the news reports flashing across the multiple screens.

"Doesn't seem like it. What is the news on the transport ship?" Jack asked.

Winston spoke up. " Well, one engine is damaged. It can be repaired though. The software only suffered some damage from that EMP attack. I have some parts I can replace them with in the communications center. And Marc...he knows who did the EMP attack."

Jack turned in his seat, the glowing, red visor focusing on the man. Marc looked to the older man and cleared his throat.

"There is a hacker Talon took on...named Sombra. She is known for her hacking abilities. I am sure it was her. We learned she was the one responsible for the world wide hacking spree," he informed. Jack only looked to Marc, giving him a silent nod.

"Winston, did you get all the flight information?" Jack asked.

"Yes, we did. Athena managed to recover all of it. Athena?" Winston asked, looking to the screens.

"Yes, Winston, I have it here," came a cool, robotic voice. The images of the French news disappeared as various charts and numbers came up. A map came up too, showing them the course they took to and from the watchpoint. As Athena zoomed into the area where the EMP attack occured, she began to summarize.

" The EMP attack hit the transport ship above the country Switzerland. These are the coordinates of where it occurred, " Athena stated, as numbers lit up on the map. Ana, who was nearby, wrote down the coordinates on some scrap paper Winston had on his desk. Jack stared at the coordinates for a while before letting his head down. There was a squirmish feeling among his insides hearing the country's name. It was where everything had ended for him and others. Jack took a moment and cleared his throat, giving orders out.

"Ana, Reinhardt...we need to look into the Swiss news and articles happening now. See if they know or seen anything. If you access to satellites, use them to try and find a crash location for Talon's plane...it may have hit the mountains. Since most of their crew bailed, we can probably find them in the vicinity of the site. Everyone else, you're dismissed. Start working on repairs when you can...we have no time to waste."

Lena and the others left while Jack asked Athena to bring up various maps of the area, wanting to study the mountain ranges and passes, wondering how hard it would be to get in. Some of the mountains looked very steep. The terrain would be rough, and unforgiving. They needed to study and plan carefully, wanting to get in there without notice from any radar or witnesses. The more he looked at the maps and 3D imaging of them, the more he had wished they could have crashed somewhere more accessible...and the more he wished they could have gone down in any other surrounding country but Switzerland.

* * *

The bedroom stayed locked. No one came knocking on it. Angela sat on the bed, staring out the window to the wild wilderness beyond. Her mind had thousands of thoughts whirling around inside, making her nauseous. The initial thought was she had to believe Reaper was Gabriel. Who else knew about what happened in that hospital room? Could describe what he just did to her? Fingers scratched at her legs as she held them, her heart having never stopped racing since she stumbled back into the room to hide. The second thought was McCree had known. Having worked much closer with Gabriel than she did, McCree knew the man's style to know who it was. It was only her in doubt, refusing to acknowledge the hints, that prevented her from wanting to believe him.  
The way he could teleport, the way he could turn into a wispy smoke...Angela knew now that was why he was able to disappear from the hospital without a trace. Whatever she had done to him, whatever abilities her technology gave him through its faulty process, activated and teleported him out, acting out of his control at the time. It was the only explanation. Now he was in full control of them and used them to their full potential.  
The more she thought about what her technology did to him, how it had ruined him, the more regret and pain she felt. She did not mean to cause him this kind of pain! As Angela looked around the room, the more she felt panicked. Angela often was the kind to remain calm, but the significance of her failure, what she had done, what she had created, was causing a panic attack...and she had to get out of that room. She could not breathe here. Angela flung herself at the door and unlocked it, the door thrown open with force enough to rattle the hinges. She bolted down the hall and through the living area, to the front door. Nimble hands worked the locked open before that door was slammed open and she rushed out into the fresh air of the mountinous wilderness.

Angela ran through the soft grass and through the shrubs and between the large aspen trees. She didn't know where she was going, but the fresh air ripping through her lungs felt better than the stale, suffocating air of that room. Legs carried her down a slope in among the trees, trampling over weeds and shrubs. There was light ahead and she broke out into a clearing, overlooking a stream. Eyes turned up to see intimidating mountains all around her, some of them snow capped.  
There was something so familiar about the sight of them that she could not quite grasp. All she knew was that it was calming. Tired legs carried her to the rocky edge of the stream before giving out. Angela sat on the soft, cool grass, pulling her knees up and resting her chin on them. She noticed no one seemed to be around for miles. They were in some mountain pass, which looked hard to access. It was amazing that whoever had owned the cabin was even able to get the materials out here to build it, unless they chopped their own trees and built it themselves.

Reaper sat up quick as he heard the sound of doors slamming. He had rushed to the railing of the loft, looking down in time to see the door flung open and Angela running out. An irritated sigh escaped through the mask as he fell from the loft and into his shadow like form, gliding out the door and over the grass, through the trees and shrubs. He stopped at the treeline as he saw her small stature sitting at the bank of the stream. He gave her a moment before he sunk into the ground and disappeared from sight with not one fallen leaf or blade of grass ruffled.  
He materialized in front of her, squatting down and staring at her. Startled, blue eyes stared at him. Reaper leaned in, talking low. "Get back in that cabin," he ordered.

Angela stared for a moment longer before looking away.

"I had to get out. It was suffocating in there, I had to run..." she tried to explain, wanting him to understand she was feeling ill in the cabin.

Reaper reached out and grabbed her jaw in his clawed hand. He jerked her head around, forcing her to look at him. Angela didn't need his mask off to know the burning stare he was giving her.

" You are not allowed to run from your mistakes anymore, doc, and you can't run from me. You're stuck with me for the time being. If you truly want out of this situation, then ask for my bullet in your head. That is the only _mercy_ I'll give you," he said with anger. Angela could feel the clawed fingers tightening on her jaw, the sharp ends cutting into her skin.

Those words had hurt more than if he had hit her. This was not the Gabriel she used to know. There was sorrow in her eyes as she stared at him. " Why did you do it, Gabriel?" she asked. "Why did you throw it all away?"

Reaper felt rage building in himself. Was it anger at her? At himself? Regret for his decisions? Annoyance she could not understand why he had always been so furious? He hated to admit she had been one of the best things in those dark days, but given his decisions, it had not been enough. His clawed hand slackened and let her jaw go. He grabbed her arm and stood, yanking her to her feet with a fluid motion.

" You're not a very good doctor if you want me to rest my wounds but have me chasing you down...let's go," he said, ignoring her question. He steered her back up the slope and the path through the woods towards the cabin. Reaper did not feel like answering her questions, nor did he think she deserved his answers after everything she had put him through.

* * *

No picture could truly capture the charming beauty of Florence's countryside. There were old mansions and villas dotted along the horizon, vineyards everywhere you went, and the greenest cypress trees one could ever find. This countryside, as picturesque as it was, held a secret. Among the many mansions and villas, there was one receiving some important guests. These guests were certainly rich, but for all the wrong reasons. Back in their day, they did what they did to make a statement, but their current direction was strictly to make profits however they could, to keep the money flowing as one could put it. Money made the world go round, and could buy off important figures. Taking Talon in this direction allowed the leaders, like Vialli, to stuff their bank accounts and live rather comfortably. It was a deviation from what Talon used to do, but no one was complaining when they saw their checks.

Among the men, was one named Richard Adler. He was the commander who had been in charge of the unit containing Reaper, Widowmaker and Sombra. Renald Artello was one of the main leaders, along with Vialli. Some shareholders who invested considerable sums of money into Talon, were among the guests invited to the gorgeous white and terra cotta mansion hidden in the Florence countryside. These guests made their way into a lavish entrance hall and were shown by an Omnic butler to a door leading down into a large basement.  
They passed walls of bottled wine, and into another room where a large table was in the center with chairs surrounding it. Everyone took their seat with Renald at the head of the table, given the home was his. Vialliy sat to his side, while others settled down into their seats. Some of Talon's guards came in as well, as there was a very special guest who had yet to be introduced to them all, and they would be bringing in soon. The Omnic butler went to fetch them some of the home's best wine while business came to order.

Renald cleared his throat and smiled to his guests sitting around his table. "Gentlemen, I am glad you could find the time to attend this urgent conference. As you know, we been having quite a problem lately. Our intelligence says that some former members of Overwatch have decided to come out of 'retirement', so to speak. We have had only one successful mission so far...with one still hanging in the balance. Adler...could you elaborate?"

Richard was nervous, but his calm demeanor hid it well. Richard knew well showing any nervousness in Talon was looked upon as a weakness, and in this orgnanization, weakness was not tolerated.

" We partially failed in retrieving the information from the old Watchpoint in Gibraltar, though some of that information has been collected. We have also failed to collect the Doomfist, as you know. We, have concerns with Katya Volskaya. We have been forced to perceive her as a threat to this organization, as she is currently unwilling to bend or compromise with us on some of our offers. We are currently waiting on the return of some of our agents in order to carry out an assassination.

"Paris was sadly a bust, given our men had to go from one mission to the next almost immediataly. The assassination of Mondatta had gone well enough, and has left London in an uproar since. As for the doctor..." he trailed off, gathering his wits. " The team did not make their destination. The transmissions we received, was that they had been engaged by hostiles. As they did not make the destination, I can only assume our ship went down. We are currently investigating into the situation. "

"I understand some of our men were killed in Paris too, correct?...And one escaped? The same one who participated in the doctor's extraction?" Vialli chimed in, as he leaned back in his seat.

"Yes... Marc Gamlin. We scrambled to retrieve his wife for leverage, but those former Overwatch agents had managed to beat us to it," he said with an edge of defense in his voice.

"It's interesting how he suddenly gets out alive, and Overwatch somehow finds our little hideout way in the French mountains. It forced us to have to move our operatives there and the doctor. We will have to consider Marc Gamlin a traitor, and working with them. So...all you know then, is there was a dogfight with our ship transporting Reaper, Sombra and doctor Ziegler. And our ship went down. Correct?" Renald asked of Richard. Richard gave a nod, wondering whether or not they knew more than he did now.

" Well we have wonderful news then. A man named Derek Arthur survived the crash and remembers the details of what happened," Renald informed him and have a nod to the agents waiting in the room with them. They marched out to retrieve Derek. The Omnic butler came in and began to serve wine to the guests.

" He has given me an account of what happened, but it's important you hear it too, Richard," Renald said as he sipped the red wine in his crystal wine glass.

Moments later a large, beefy man was escorted in and shown a seat at the middle of the table. The agents took to standing guard against the walls, in the shadows. Derek was offered some wine, but waved it away, more intent on getting the meeting over with.

" Derek, could you please tell Richard Adler exactly what you told me when you called us?" Renald asked. The tired man nodded.

"Like I said...the ship was being attacked. Sombra, for some reason, decided to unleash an EMP attack to try and stop the enemy's ship. Stupid, really, because the EMP attack effected _our_ ship too. The pilot was losing control, and ordered us to abandon. I parachuted out...Sombra did too. I was struggling with my parachute and trying to guide it when I saw what looked like Reaper abandoning last. He looked a little odd shaped from what I could tell in the moonlight. Think he had doctor Ziegler strapped to him, or holding on to him or something...looked like both bailed before the ship crashed. All of us were drifting in different directions thanks to the damn wind.

"I ended up in some mountainous wilderness. I hunkered down over the night. Next morning, I decided to try and see where I was. Came across a small camp where some hikers were making breakfast. Told them my plane crashed and I needed to know the way to the next town. They helped me, packing up, and taking me down a trail that overlooked the town," he explained and sighed. " I killed them afterward. Can't have no witnesses to tell anyone any stories of some strange man they came across in the mountains. Dragged the bodies deep into the forests, buried them deep, covered it in pine needles and other crap."

Vialli nodded to that, relieved that Derek covered his tracks.

" Ended up in this town called...Sas grand...Saas-grund? Think it was Saas-Grund how the locals pronounced it. Found a local hotel which had maps for the area. The town's in Switzerland. Somewhere between the Egginer and Weissmeis mountains," he said, and dug around in his pocket. He produced the travel map he had and threw it on the table. "I marked a spot where I was."

One of the guests passed the map down to Vialli and Renald who unfolded it and looked at it. Renald nodded slowly and looked to Derek.

"Impressive. You have given us a good idea where we can begin our search for the others. Some of our men may not have made it, but, I have my faith in Reaper and Sombra. They are resourceful and will find a way to contact us when they can," Renald said and stashed the map in his own suit pocket.

Vialli, who had been swilling his wine around in his glass, looked to one of the guards. The subtle movement of his head was recognized and that agent moved from the shadows, behind Richard.

"...Well then, I will take it over from here, Richard," Renald said, sitting back. " You have been sloppy, and inefficient, making you a liability. I will take over commands from here on out, and find a way to extract our agents, and our doctor. As for you..."

Richard did not have a moment to argue his case before the agent who was standing behind him put a pistol to the back of his head. A flash and quick, sudden pop sped a bullet through Richard's head, and splattered blood and brain matter all over the table where he sat. The body slumped forward into the mess, blood flowing out of the ruined cranium and puddling onto the table.

"Gentlemen, let's recap," Vialli said as he stood. " Russia is in the midst of another Omnic Crisis. The Siberian Omnium reactivated, and that area has been engaged in conflict yet again. Volskaya Industries has been given their green light to quicken production of new tech to combat the situation. 15,000 lives and counting have been lost in that region alone. We do want a part in their lucrative deals, however, as our dearly departed friend, Richard has said, Katya Volskaya is unmoving. Renald, I'm sure you'll see to that when the time is right. If she is not with us, she is competition, and must be eliminated.

" Now, the doctor. You see, gentlemen, this Angela Ziegler is quite famous for her pioneering in her nanobiology, and the biotic tech she has created. We know the sort of equipment and weapons she has developed from some of those Overwatch files. And so, we want her so she can help us develop the same weapon tech, but on a much larger scale than some rifle or staff. The profit would be far more lucrative than any deal with Katya Volskaya. In a time with tensions rising, we know we can profit off such weapons. We need her alive."

Renald nodded to Vialli. " Trust me, we will find her and the rest of them. We can scramble a team together to begin our search. We'll start in the region that Derek mentioned using the map he has given us. We will spread out from there. I am sure we will come across something. I'd also like a talk with Sombra, wondering why someone who seems so tech savvy, could somehow forget an EMP attack effects everything in its range, not just a single target."

Renald frowned at the body that was still on his table, blood still seeping from the blown out head.

"Get this cleaned up before his blood stains my table."

* * *

There was a small, tiny town in the Swiss mountains by the name of Simplon. It was a stopping point for a lot of tourists on their way to Italy. The small town was nestled in a mountain pass, with a population not even breaking the thousands. It had a small array of homes and public places, with only one main road running through it. It was also freezing cold. Or, freezing cold for someone who was used to the Mexican heat.

Sombra had managed to land at the foot of a large mountain, Wenghorn. Seeing the few lights that gave way there was a town, Sombra unstrapped herself from the parachute and made her way through the trees and shrubs to the town. Most every shop was closed, except for a hotel. Sombra used her ability to go invisible and dashed in behind someone coming in. Snatching a map while the person at the desk was preoccupied, she ran off into a hallway to see exactly where she was. According to the map, she was in Switzerland. _Great_ , she thought, _a country of mountains and snow. Not my favorite._ Sombra stashed the map away and found a washing room to hide in. After the door was closed, she took out a device from her pocket. It showed a map of the area she was in, along with its mountains, streams and roads. It was similar to a GPS map, but on it a bright, red dot was flashing.

Talon could worry about her status and whereabouts all they wanted; Sombra had her own mission she wished to accomplish before she would contact them.


	14. Story Update!

Ladies and gentlemen,

This story is on hold for a little. I will be working on it! however, with the addition of Moira...

I have had a fairly large monkey wrench thrown into the canon lore. While my story, and most, thought Angela was responsible for the failed saving of Gabriel Reyes, with the release of Moira, we found out exactly what happened...to an extent.

I may be rewriting some chapters because of this. It is going to be tedious, of course, BUT, I do feel like there is a lot of potential to be had by having this Moira in the story. I am quite the stickler for lore, and wish to work around it while not changing the lore itself. I promise to keep everyone updated, and to upload another update to inform which chapters are getting changed around or rewritten.

I do foresee very interesting chapters in the future though once I figure out my chapters and have great ideas further down the road! I will try to work quickly and efficiently on these changes so everyone can enjoy newer content later! I wish to thank everyone who reads, follows and reviews, you guys make my day!

Side note:

If anyone wishes to PM me or suggest to me their thoughts, feel free to do so! I'd like to see what others think especially since now we have this new character, Moira


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